The Purest Treasure
by Meian-Rose
Summary: Arthur Kirkland is the most feared pirate of the seven seas, and everybody knows that. After some strange trips to the new world, he's faced with the tedious task of protecting the one thing he cares about the most. USUK/UKUS Rated T for violence. Pirate!England & Little!America (Human names used) Other implied pairings mentioned.
1. Chapter 1

Arthur Kirkland had a short story-an often sad one, but a short one, which ended in a life of crime and treachery. Yes indeed, not long after he'd reached legal drinking age, he sailed to become one of the most feared pirates the ocean has ever known. The title stuck with him, and he earned the name of Captain Kirkland. Once a worthy crew had gathered, he'd set out to plunder and ransack every village that looked even just a little profitable. No one knew whether this was out of his greed for money and treasure, blood-thirst for revenge, or if he was just bored. No one dared question him, either.

He knew all too well, though. He did it for all of those reasons, and many more. In the end, he found himself questioning, "Why not do it?". So, it was left at that. He does what he wants, takes what he wants, and gets what he wants as the fiercest pirate to ever roam the ocean.

That was his life as a pirate, for a good three years.

* * *

It all started on the day he decided to investigate the new world. Many rumors had spread across the sea, that a new adventure had surfaced in this area-many unfamiliar to its charm. However, it being uncharted territory left to the British soldiers, not many were brave enough to venture. Arthur Kirkland, however, was a different story entirely.

He docked at a hastily made port at the harbor-half surprised that civilization had prospered so quickly, and made way with his crew to the nearest village.

It was about an hour in, and fairly cold. He and his crew walked on foot to the mysterious hideaway, and drew their swords in preparation for anything that might have been waiting for them.

What they found, however, would burn their brains forever.

The houses were once beautiful cottages from the looks of it, each blown down by a fearsome storm. The crops had withered and died, leaving a minimal food source, and animals had yet to be found. Needless to say, it hardly looked profitable. On top of that, sprawled across the street lie the bodies of dead citizens, young and old. The youngest was a boy who looked at least the age of thirteen, with shaggy blonde hair. His eyes remained closed. The oldest was a man who could have been in his late eighties, who suffered from a serious wound to the chest. Each had died of either gun shots or swipes of the sword.

It was then they realized, they were a bit too late.

Outraged, Kirkland shouted to his men, "What on earth has gone on here! I demand to know what other pirate was foolish enough to tread on new land before me!"

"I say we go home.", sniffed one of his pirates-surprisingly female-Elizabeta Héderváry.

Her spot on the crew was more or less a mistake-everyone (including Elizabata) firmly believed she was a boy.

"Why on earth would we do that?!", he demanded shakily, "There's nothing here we haven't seen or done before!"

The despaired woman pointed to the opposite side of the cottage, where they spotted the bodies of a couple, each dead, holding hands. Many more had died not too far from them, some in a similar position. Either way, it was a devastating site. Even for a pirate.

Growing weary of the crushing pain pulling at his chest, he agreed. They walked back to the ship and sailed far away from the land. However, curious. What pirate could have been so quick to devastate an entire village, right under Arthur's nose? How could this have happened?

On the ship, as they sailed away, his heart cracked just a little more, despite the already well-over broken appearance. The unsettling feeling pushed him away, just as it drew him back only three years later.

* * *

"Why are we sailing to America again?", asked Roderich Edelstein.

"Don't question it.", snapped the far-too irritated captain, "We're going to pay the colony a visit and that's that. Surely by now they've had the time to repair."

"Oh I see. So that's why you wanted to leave?"

"What's that supposed to mean, Git?"

"Surely you left because of their frail condition? At the sight of it, the only thing we could have gained from pillaging their village, was a small amount of blood-stained dirt and whatever useless belongings they could have had."

"..Exactly right. That's why I left, and that's why I'm coming back."

"Or could it be the captain has a soft spot for the amount of blood he saw all over the floor?", he half-whispered, walking away.

Arthur heard that loud and clear, but refrained from calling him out. He merely knit his eyes and turned away from his crew. Whatever the reason may be, they were returning shortly. That was that.

* * *

The village was in far better shape this time around, to everyone's silent relief. The crew gathered in the village and took the time to quietly admire the way the cottages had been restored, crops had begun to grow once more, and little to no blood was seen at all.

"Tonight I'll make the decision of whether we take what's left of this or abandon the village entirely. For now we'll rest and replenish our health. Either way, we won't be leaving empty handed. Understand?"

They traded reluctant faces, but nodded.

"Good. Head out."

There was a pub not too far outside of town, and they decided to stop for a well-deserved rest and turn up a pint once more. Half in exhaustion and boredom, half in celebration and relief-perhaps of not returning to a tattered, bloody mess of chaos.

Strangely, the captain's drinks remained untouched. He bitterly swallowed half a sip of liquor, before abandoning it entirely. He took a walk outside, much to an oblivious crew, and gathered his thoughts. The village wasn't too far from here, and wandering away for a brief moment while his crew gathered their strength may not be such a bad idea. He was still half-pondering the mysterious crew who could've left such a village in shambles. It was apparent to him that no one was spared-families, seniors, children..Nobody.

Taking a deep breath, he drew further into the forest and made his way around to the docks. Unsure of why he stopped there, he shook it off and cleared his head for a moment. Just for a moment..

That was all he was blessed with before he was interrupted by a tug on the back of his uniform.

"What is it?", he snapped before turning around, "Can't you see I'm-!"

He was greeted by a small face, belonging to a child in the likes of which he'd never seen before. Surely he must have been at least two or three years old..No child of mature age would confront a pirate, obviously armed with a pistol and a sharp cutlass.

"Hi there mister.", the little boy said, "What are you doing here?"

"W-What does it matter?", he replied shakily, unable to hold a proper glare, "I've come for my own personal reasons, that's all. Should you even be out here, what are you doing talking to a pirate anyway? Do you know what kind of trouble you could get yourself-"

He stopped dead in his tracks as the image of dirty brown hair flooded his brain, stained with blood.

"Get out of here!", he commanded, slightly harsh, "Now! Don't you know what a pirate like me could do to you?!"

The boy nodded, as if he'd asked a completely casual, not-at-all life threatening question, "Yeah. Pirates used to come here allot, but they don't anymore. They stopped coming after someone destroyed everything three years ago. Since then, no one really wants to come see us anymore..Not even the British."

Lowering his voice, the captain stared down, complexion mixed with grief and sorrow.

"Besides, I'm not scared of pirates. I'm a hero, so I'll protect the village..Even if they don't want me to."

"What do you mean if they don't want you to?"

"People don't really like me, so it's hard to protect them..But they'll thank me one day when I get big..and tall."

"Don't you mean big and strong?"

"I'm already strong, I just need to get taller, that's all."

Puzzled, he decided to leave it alone at that, "Well..Surely someone likes you. You have parents don't you? Any relatives at all?"

He shook his head, "They died a long time ago, and the pirates took my brother away. No one's seen him since then."

"..I'm..Sorry to hear that."

The boy shrugged, "What's your name, mister?"

"My name is Captain Arthur Kirkland. I'm a pirate too, you know. You should have run away from me the minute you saw me out here..What happened to your brother was only an example of what they could have done to you."

"I'm Alfred F. Jones, and I'm the hero!", he shouted with glee.

Arthur bit back a laugh and gently pat the boy on his head, "I'm sure you are. Now run along, little hero. It's not safe for someone as small as you out here."

Half irritated, the boy twitched his lip and..

Arthur had never been punched in the stomach so hard by somebody half the size of his shoe.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite the rough greeting, the boy and Arthur quickly became..something close to what he would call a friend. (Even if the punch did result in Arthur chasing Alfred around for five minutes, screaming obscenities such as "You Git!" or "Twat!" or even "Little Wanker!", all meant in the nicest way, of course..)

Besides, Alfred wasn't looking for much, the boy obviously just wanted to sit down and chat with someone. Arthur felt he couldn't deny, so he granted Alfred this one wish. After exchanging respects and outputs (the boy was surprisingly insightful for his age) they managed to chat about nothing until nightfall..The same night the village was scheduled to be plundered.

"..I'm afraid I have to go now, Alfred.", sighed Arthur, avoiding eye contact.

"Aww, you have to leave already?", he pouted, "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"You know, it's not often that somebody is begging a pirate to stay in their village."

"But you're different than the other pirates. You're nice..and stuff."

Arthur bit back another laugh, but refrained from patting the boys head this time.

Somehow, the boy tricked Arthur into promising his return..Be it as it may, he decided to gather his crew and leave the new world immediately..Due to return next week, of course.

* * *

Somehow their visits to the new world became a regular routine. The crew was a bit skeptical, but didn't question it. After all, they were getting beer and a break out of it. It was unlike the captain to be this charitable..They didn't even question the fact he hardly touched his beer whenever they paid a visit to the village.

_Before they knew it, a year had passed._

Arthur was entranced by the boy and found himself bringing him new toys and clothes, and everything that may or may not keep the boy happy..Seeing Alfred with a smile on his face was enough payment, much to his surprise. His pirating ways kept slipping away, and no one took notice besides Arthur himself. He kept his reputation up, however.

He still plundered and pillaged, cheated and stole, but he sheltered Alfred from much of that. In fact, Arthur wasn't really sure why he was doing so..Maybe he had some sort of sympathy for the boy, mixed with a bit of respect..They were nearly one in the same. They grew up with no parents, and those around them pitied their existence, and brushed it off as nothing more than a nuisance. However, Alfred seemed to remain unfazed and only greeted Arthur with a smile on his face. Arthur even respected Alfred for his attitude, and more or less, his impressive. No one was quite sure where that came from, though, even if he wasn't quite strong enough to twirl a buffalo...Well, regardless, he was still fairly strong for his age.

It was only after repairs to the village had been fully established, that Arthur had been worried.

At the time, he was convinced that Alfred's strength alone would be enough to keep him safe..but he never took it into consideration that Hero's don't or simply refuse to harm those around them..Even if they're harmed themselves.

Alfred's Hero complex had grown just as Alfred grew in height. Not much had changed besides his clear change in speech and the more than a little heroic behavior, even if he wasn't really that much of a hero. That didn't seem to matter, however. He swore he'd protect the village, whether they wanted him to or not..and that was a promise he carried till the moment he left.

It was a sunny day, much to the crews liking. They made their annual route and stopped at the docks. Surprisingly, they were greeted by a furious old man, screaming his heart out at a little boy..looking shamefully upset. They awaited the captains orders and he commanded they head to the pub. They obeyed and marched past the man, unfazed by his shouts.

Arthur, however, stayed behind. He bit back his fury and kept his sword out of reach, purposely. The man was furiously yelling at the little boy he'd grown to call a friend, and he demanded an explanation.

"Is there a problem here, sir?"

"Yes there is a problem! Alfred is the problem! He's the one that's led you pirates here, isn't he?! I wouldn't be surprised if he was the very same that led those evil pirates here two years ago! I don't think he understands or cares about the danger that he's put all of us in!"

Before anyone could protest, the man stormed off into the forest, probably back to the village. Alfred sat on the ground, innocently looking up at Arthur...and despite it all, he had a lovely smile on his little face.

"Alfred, are you alright?"

The boy nodded, hugging his knees, "I'm fine, that happens allot. They get angry at me, but I don't mind."

"Why do they get angry with you, Alfred?"

"They don't like me, remember? You're my friend, that's why you have to come back allot."

"..That still doesn't explain why they would take their problems out on you of all people, Alfred."

He merely shrugged, "I dunno, but I don't mind. I'll be their hero someday!"

This time, Arthur did laugh as he scooped the boy up in his arms and playfully ruffled his hair. Alfred laughed too and clutched Arthur's neck. It was then that they both silently realized it, other than each other, they had no real friends.

* * *

Their weekly visits continued, and just as Arthur feared, the worst for Alfred had yet to come. It was apparent that the villagers were angry with Alfred for openly inviting the worst pirates to ever sail the seven seas to their home. With no one else to blame, they took their aggressions out on Alfred, and much to Arthur's dismay, he refused to put up a fight.

Their most recent visits consisted of small bandages carelessly wrapped around his head or shoulders as if he'd done it himself. The captain took well to biting back fury, but he was thankful that he'd sometimes "forget" his weapons on the ship.

It was only when the boy was bruised and bloodied, that resisting became far too much.

They docked at the shore just like any other week, and Arthur was the first to get off. The boy was waiting for him as usual, but this time his smile had somehow disappeared.

"What's wrong?", the captain asked with a concerned look and a quiet voice as the crew disappeared toward the pub.

He was sprawled out on the floor, laying on his side with a blank expression on his face-neither happy, nor sad. He almost looked confused.

The boy half-turned over and gave Arthur a weak shrug, "I dunno. Nothing's wrong."

"That was a lie and you know it. Don't lie to me, Alfred, I want to know what happened this instant."

Alfred grumbled but gave off an exhausted nod, "I made people really angry."

Once again, the captain was filled with so much fury, he almost swore he would explode. Without thinking, Arthur scooped Alfred up into his arms and took the time to analyze his less-than-fortunate condition. It was only then that he realized his face and arms were covered in dark bruises, and the gash on his face resulted in a fair amount of blood trailing the length of his body. That sickening image come to life-it even stained his shirt.

"You'll be alright, Alfred. I'm going to help you, do you understand?"

He faintly nodded through half-lidded eyes.

"You mustn't fall asleep, you may have a concussion and you're losing allot of blood. I don't even want to ask who did this to you..I won't be able to contain my temper that much longer, you know."

The boy settled in his arms, gripping his neck as Arthur carried him all the way back to the pub, where the crew was hopefully waiting for them..and hopefully, at least one of them were sober.

* * *

Half of the crew was drunk out of their minds, the other half was resting and or partying. Roderich seemed to be waiting for the captain, and he was the first to make a snide remark as Arthur walked in carrying the child.

"Oh, I see. So this is what you've been doing. Here we thought you'd come across treasure, but we've been coming back so you can baby sit someone."

"Shut it. Fetch medical attention immediately!"

Roderich took one look at the child, "Oh my. Elizabeta! Come here right now!"

She was sober for the most part, and luckily, she was very handy with a first-aid kit.

Barely keeping the child awake, Arthur half rocked him/half shook him while Elizabeta treated his wounds. She seemed almost just as surprised as he was..but she's always had a soft spot for kids.

She wrapped a white bandage crookedly around his forehead, just covering his eye, and managed to stop the bleeding, while icing the bruises.

"What happened to him?", she asked.

"I don't want to know.", he bitterly sighed, "What are we going to do about this?"

"Are we actually going to do something? Is he really the reason we've been coming here so often?"

"..Indeed. Though it pains me to admit it, I may or may not have a soft spot for the little wanker.."

"..Well, what do you think we should do, captain?"

He took the minute to ponder.

Leaving the boy here was out of the question..but getting the boy to willingly come with them was better said than done. On the other hand, life here might prove to be safer than life on the sea, where pirates will constantly try to sink their ship and plunder their treasure..Not that life here was any better for him. On top of that, Alfred seemed just as stubborn as Arthur, and he seemed dead set on being the hero..

"Captain? Captain, are you alright?", she asked, lightly snapping in front of his face.

He shook his head of the thoughts as a seemingly brilliant idea surfaced to mind..

"Everyone get back to the ship!", he shouted, careful not to wake Alfred as he'd fallen asleep soon after the bleeding stopped.

"Aye aye captain!"'s rang out throughout the pub, and they each filed out the door and through the forest, back to the ship with Arthur following close behind. However, he made one quick detour..

The villagers were clearly unhappy. Some were shocked, some were angry, some cowered in fear..but all in all, they weren't happy to see him. Whether sour looks were directed toward him or Alfred remained unknown, but he didn't care. Instead, he made sure each villager gathered around by causing a bit of a scene..

It worked, needless to say, and they were all either ready to run the pirate out of the new world or fight for their lives.

He took a deep breath...

"My pirates and I are leaving now, never to return."

Cheers echoed throughout the village.

"However!", he snapped, "You should all thank Alfred F. Jones..your hero and savior. If not for him, you would all be in grave danger now.."

They exchanged concerned looks, then turned their attention towards Alfred with a few gasps.

"Alfred has agreed to become my prisoner..In exchange, I promise to leave America and never return. Is that clear?"

The crowd fell silent, before an old woman dropped to her knees slowly, and knelt before Alfred, still cradled by the fierce pirate.

"Alfred..", she half-whispered, "You've always been our hero."

With that, she gently pat his forehead, and rejoined the crowd. They gave the pirate hateful looks, but he paid no mind. For now he only wondered how he was going to keep Alfred safe..

After all, though village life was harsh, the life of a pirate was all too unforgiving.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur held the boy until the moment they set sail, absent-mindedly stroking his hair as he pondered the limitations and dangers of living with pirates..

Well, on one hand, it wasn't like he had much to lose. His family had been wiped out ages ago, along with his brother who was kidnapped-more than likely dead..Not that he had the heart to tell Alfred. The villagers weren't so nurturing either, and now that they believed Alfred was a hero..he'd gotten his wish.

On the other hand, living with a pirate proved an intimidating and daunting task. In fact, it was more than likely that a few other lesser ships sailing about would attack, fairly soon. Word would gather that the pirates had taken their leave of the new world, never to return, and that's sure to raise a few questions. Not only would Alfred half to remain on constant alert, but Arthur had the tedious task of caring for him and protecting him from the monsters out there who dared claim the pirate name.

"Captain?", called Elizabeta, who knocked politely on his quarters door, "Are you alright? You've been in there for a while. Has Alfred woken up yet?"

Snapped back to reality, Arthur gently set the child on the bed and whispered, "Come in. What is it?"

She took notice of the sleeping child and whispered as well, "We've spotted a coast not too far from here. Nightfall is approaching fast, and the crew believes it would be best to dock there until morning. It's not safe to sail at night in these waters."

She had a point. Lately rumors had spread about powerful ships making plans to attack the new world-not that it mattered. None were nearly as ruthless as Arthur's pirates, and so long as they were out of the new world, that's all the villagers cared about.

"..I suppose you're right. We'll dock at the next port, keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Understand?"

She nodded.

Hopefully now they would have a safe place to rest..for all them.

However..there was one other ship that came to mind that may be even a little capable of committing an act as undignified as such had been performed so many years ago, but that ship was more or less known for their non-specifically violent acts of villainy, such as continuous kidnappings. However, they disappeared not too long ago. At least, Arthur had yet to see any sign of them..but he wouldn't put it above them.

His train of thought split in two as a low mumbling captured his attention.

"A..Arthur?", mumbled a tired Alfred, "Where are we?"

The boy fought to sat up, only to have Arthur gently push him back down on the bed.

"Relax, Alfred. You'll be alright. You're on my ship, understand?", he whispered silently, so as to evade any nosy ease-droppers.

Alfred rubbed his eyes, and clutched Arthur's large hand, "I wish I could have been their hero, though. I promised.", he sighed with a grief that could have torn his heart in two.

"Everything will be alright, I've arranged it so that you'll always be there hero, meanwhile I can never return to the new world. You'll always be with me from now."

"What happened? I was a hero?!"

Arthur laughed and pat his head, "Indeed, and we can never return to the new world. Would you like to know why?"

Alfred nodded, obviously intrigued.

"Because..You're my prisoner!", Arthur playfully growled as he tickled the boys stomach, in return earning many giggles and uncontrollable flailing of the arms and legs.

After the two regained their composure, it was then and only then that Arthur realized how late it had truly gotten. He'd spent so much time worrying and awaiting Alfred's awakening, that he'd let three hours slip right through his fingers.

"My, look at the time, Alfred. We should really get a formal sleep, you know. Children your age need a good nights sleep so they can feel refreshed in the morning..Otherwise, how else would you be a proper hero?"

He shrugged and clung to Arthur's hand, "Will you read me a story, Arthur?"

"I'm afraid I don't have many books on the ship at the moment.."

"I don't want a book, I want you to make one up."

"Make one up? Are you quite sure?"

He nodded.

"...Well..I suppose..", he took a breath as he began, "There once was a man who lived in..Scotland. He was a hopeless drunk and-"

"I'm bored, Arthur.", he moaned with displeasure, "Make up a hero story."

"..A hero story, right.", he chuckled, "There once was a little hero named Alfred.."

Obviously enjoying where this story was going, Alfred listened good and listened hard. However, before the story could continue any further, a knock on the door alerted Arthur of something a little more important..

It was Elizabeta again.

"Captain? It's really late, where will Alfred be sleeping?"

Ah..That's right..Alfred doesn't have a bed..

"..I suppose..", he sighed and thought for a moment.

Would it be unprofessional to sleep with your captain? Was Alfred technically a prisoner? He didn't exactly choose to be here, but he didn't exactly fight it either..He seemed alright with it...but Elizabeta has always been a motherly type of person..at least, after she found out she was capable of being a mother, that is.

"I suppose..can he sleep with you, Elizabeta? You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Of course not!", she practically sang.

"..Right.", he coughed, somewhat relieved, "Run along Alfred, you'll be sharing a cabins quarter with Elizabeta, alright?"

Alfred nodded with a feigned smile, somewhat displeased with this newer turn of events..

Arthur watched with heavy eyelids and a heavy heart as she took his hand and guided him out of the room.

_ An hour passed by faster than expected._

They'd docked not too long ago, and as a result, the seas were a bit more merciful. Less waves rocked the boat, making sleep not only a possibility, but a reality. He seemed to be the only creature with a beating heart that still lay awake on this troublesome night. Troublesome for him, at least. He couldn't shake the empty feeling that had taken over the minute Elizabeta took the boy away.

..Well, she didn't take him away, per say. It was nothing but inevitable after all. She was the only trustworthy figure with a spare bed in her cabin, and the boy would enjoy a comfy bed all to himself..That's what he deserved. Only the best for little hero's.

The night proved much too cold for his liking. He half-shivered under the thin blanket, and lay with a distasteful smile on his pale face. The moon illuminated the room, giving it a half-eerie glow, as he watched the waves roll by before turning his attention toward the ceiling.

Did Alfred like the cold? He couldn't say. What if Alfred was cold now? Was the blanket warm enough? Perhaps he should set out to buy the boy a jacket..Yes, that was definitely next on his to-do list. Winter was approaching after all.

_Ah, the sneaky little boy plagued his mind..even at night. _

"Captain?", knocked a tired voice, "Captain, open up, please!"

Surprised, Arthur opened the door, greeted by the tired face of Elizabeta..holding little Alfred's hand.

"What's the problem?"

"Alfred won't sleep. He's afraid of ghosts and I can't get him to stop crying. He says he wants Arthur."

Getting a better look, it was only then that Arthur realized that Alfred's cheeks were indeed stained a puffy red, streaked with tears.

"What's the matter, Alfred?", Arthur knelt down to look him in the eyes, "Are you alright?"

He quickly shook his head and threw his small arms around Arthur's shoulders, "I'm scared. It's dark and scary and I don't like it!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, little man. Do you want to sleep in her bed? I'm sure she'll let-"

"No!", he sniffed, choking back tears, "I want Arthur!"

Slightly disturbed at how actually honored he felt, he bit back his own smile, threatening to grace his face, and playfully ruffled the boys hair. This seemed to stop the crying, but he wasn't about to let go of Arthur.

"..Would you like to sleep in my bed tonight, Alfred?"

He nodded, rubbing his eyes.

Arthur scooped the little boy up into his arms once again, and carried him off into his quarters as he waved Elizabeta a goodnight and a goodbye.

The captain returned to bed, placing little Alfred next to him.

"A-Arthur?", the boy whispered shakily, "Will you finish your story?"

Arthur took a moment to ponder, but nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes..As I was saying, there was once a brave hero named Alfred. He was strong, and fierce..no one dared to mess with him. His big brother, Arthur, was no match for him either..", he inwardly laughed at his own statement-only for this child would Arthur ever admit to being outmatched.., "He lived in a small village..with a very small family..one day, nasty pirates followed him to the village and threatened everyone..No one believed Alfred was a pirate until the day he defended everyone single-handedly. Ever since then, no pirate ever dared to mess with his greatest treasure.."

That seemed to do the trick. Alfred curled into a sleeping position, right underneath the fold of Arthur's arm, using it as a pillow.

"Arthur?", he half mumbled, "Every pirate has a treasure, right?"

Surprised at this question, Arthur thought it over...He supposed that was right..for the most part.

"Yes, I suppose so. Why do you ask?"

"What's your greatest treasure?"

That was something..no one had ever asked him before. He'd found himself surrounded with gold, jewelry, clothes, liquor..the finest life had to offer, including a platinum gold reputation. However..he'd never found himself in the same position Alfred had put him in only moments ago..It seemed no amount of gold held that kind of power...So, it was only fair, right?

"Why..I suppose, you are, Alfred."

Pleased at this answer, Alfred curled even more against Arthur, hugging him to his best ability.

"That's good. You're my treasure too, Arthur.", he whispered, before he drifted off to sleep.

The night seemed just a little less cold, and a little less lonely.


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur Kirkland now had a new recruit..Nonetheless, he was still a pirate and this was still a pirate ship. So when a Russian pirate crew attacked later that morning, he had no choice but to counter..regardless of who's on board. He wasn't quite unfamiliar with this certain crew, either, they were fairly unusual..but never really a threat to the British. At least, that's what usually happened..it seemed they'd decided to pick up a change in pace today.

The captain drew his sword and came face to face with his attacker not long after they boarded the ship. The captain of said ship awaited patiently with his crew, knowing full well they would sink should they return cannon fire.

Ivan Braginski manned this ship, and he stood patiently with his odd weapon of choice..a led pipe. His female deck hands assisted battle, and were now occupied with Arthur's strong pirates. He had a few other lackeys too-three of them, each slightly fearful.

Arthur was currently one man short..or, woman. He ordered Elizabeta to stay below the deck with Alfred, to keep him safe under all costs, and he meant _all_ costs.

"You've always been so peaceful. Why the sudden change?", grunted Arthur as he clashed swords with Ivan.

"It is not that we are peaceful, it is that we have no reason to attack."

"Then why are you attacking now?!"

"You have been spending an abnormal amount of time in the new world, da?"

"..I suppose..What does that have to do with anything?!"

"The new world is filled with many riches and treasures, da? Any good pirate would have plundered that by now."

"I'm afraid you have it wrong. There was no treasure to be spoken of-it had all been taken long ago."

"Then you'll keep trying until you find it, da?"

"No, I'm banished from the new world, never to return."

"How did that happen?"

"In exchange..Well, that has nothing to do with why you're here! Back off, Ivan! Take your crew and go, we have no treasure for you!"

Apparently listening, Ivan lowered his sword and drew back, with the same creepy smile plastered on his face.

"We leave you alone now, but don't forget about the other pirates out there, Da? There are pirates out there-some even more ruthless than me. They want treasure, and they get treasure. Take care, my enemy."

He was really good at leaving chills behind, really. Arthur's used to it, his crew's used to it, but it was still creepy.

"Back to the ship!", shouted both captain's, each leaving with minimal damage.

He'd returned just in time to find Elizabeta standing outside of her cabin.

"Where's Alfred?"

"He locked me out. He said he wants Arthur.", she said looking slightly glum.

"..I suppose it can't be helped..", he sighed, knocking on the door, "Alfred?"

"..Arthur?", replied the tiny voice.

"Yes, it's me. Why on earth would you lock Elizabeta out of her room?"

"I don't want her, I want Arthur!"

He could practically imagine the boy stomping his foot in protest on the other side of the door...Hopefully, without denting the wood.

"..Yes, well I'm here now. Come out, won't you?"

The door cracked, and Alfred poked his head through..

"There you are.", smiled Arthur, "Come on now, let's go.", he walked away from the cabin, bloody sword hidden beneath his coat.

When he realized he wasn't being followed, he turned around only to find little Alfred reaching for the sky..so it seemed.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"I want up.", he shrugged.

"Up?"

The boy nodded, hands still in the air.

Then it hit him.

"Oh, I see.", chuckled the captain, hopefully no one noticing.

He picked Alfred up and held him in both arms, carrying him all the way back to the captain's quarters.

"You really are quite troublesome, you know?"

Alfred merely giggled.

* * *

_Two years later._

Alfred had aged well, still young yet growing well. Part of Arthur had suspected that the boy would've left him by now, or at least grown less attached..but as the past foretold, Alfred enjoyed activities such as sleeping in Arthur's bed, hiding in his cabin when a battle broke out on deck, and he practically cried his little heart out when Arthur received so much as a scratch in battle. He'd also grown quite the attitude.

The captain scoured the deck in search of his treasure. It had been a busy morning, what with the battle raging on deck, and the attacks coming from a certain Asian ship..but after the dispute had settled with little to no blood-shed, life had returned to normal. Except for the attacks on deck, which kept the crew working until late afternoon. It was then and only then that Arthur was able to take time out of this busy day to find Alfred..The only problem being, he had no idea where that boy could have wandered off to.

"Alfred?", he called, "Alfred, where on earth are you?"

"What are you doing?", asked Basch Zwingli, the newest edition of their crew.

He was a bit reluctant toward joining, but somehow meeting Alfred changed his mind. It was then discovered that he had a little sister as well, both of which searching for a place to find refuge. He's Swiss-unlike his sister who grew up in Liechtenstein until she was later adopted.

At the moment, though it wasn't uncommon, he seemed fairly irritated.

"Nothing. Have you seen Alfred? I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"Last time I checked he was up there.", he aimed a loaded gun at the highest part of the main mast of the ship, where a blonde boy sat calmly in the center, overlooking the sea.

Arthur wasn't sure what scared him more-the gun aimed directly at the boy in which could take his head off this second, should Basch have the mind to, or the naïve little one who somehow managed to monkey his way to the tip-top of the ship...With no proper way down.

"ALFRED F. JONES GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

It was then that the crew turned toward the furious captain, no remarks included, hence his fury was a regular occurrence when it came to Alfred's more-than-a-little free spirit.

Alfred turned his attention toward the captain as well, waving happily and proceeding to literally slide all the way down the mast, onto the deck, just in front of the captain's feet using the many ropes procured for the sail.

"Ow ow ow!", he whined, rubbing his well-burnt hands, "Rope burn! Arthur! It hurts!"

"That is exactly why you are not allowed up there. Do you know what could have happened? A ship could have attacked-one cannon and that mast could have disappeared within one hit, taking you along with it! What were you thinking, Alfred?!"

The boy ceased rubbing his hands for a moment, to greet Arthur with an innocent yet apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I'll be more careful next time."

Basch, still being nearby, heard the boy whispering, "Ropes really burn. Maybe I should just jump off!"

Apparently, the captain heard it too.

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING, YOUNG MAN."

"Aww, you're no fun."

"It's not my job to be fun, it's my job to protect you and lead this crew to victory and treasure."

"Hey Arthur, can I be a pirate too?"

"Absolutely not."

"Aww but-"

"No buts. We'll discuss this when you're older, understood? I don't believe a child could understand the dangers and limitations that come with being a pirate. It's not all fun in games as it seems, you know?"

"I know..but, I was just curious."

"..I see. Well, come along, it's been a long day and the chef has informed me that dinner is a mere half hour away."

Alfred took Arthur's hand as he led the boy to his cabin quarter.

* * *

"Hey Arthur?"

"..."

"Arthur?"

"..."

"Hey, hey Arthur!"

"..."

"Arthur! Arthur, I'm bored!"

"..."

"..I don't wanna have to do this.", he half whispered.

"..."

"AAARRRTTHHHUUURRR!"

"WHAT ON EARTH IS IT?", Arthur snapped, having been waken from his well-deserved nap..apparently right on his desk.

"You fell asleep and I'm bored."

"..Oh, I see. You'll have to forgive me, I'm very tired at the moment. Now, what did you need? Surely you must have had a better reason than that."

"I have a question."

"Yes? What is it?"

"How come you're nice pirates?"

He would've spit out his tea if he'd the pleasure of drinking any, "What do you mean?"

"You're really nice pirates. You don't kidnap people, or kill, or steal anything that you don't need. You didn't even destroy our village when you found out it'd been repaired. How come?"

..That was something even he didn't exactly know..

"Well..You see..I'm afraid I can't answer that. There are some things you must do as a pirate, but there are also things you mustn't do as a human."

"Oh, I see..."

"...", at last, the question is over..perhaps now he could finish that nap..-

"So does that mean the people who kidnapped Matthew were aliens?"

Once again, he would have spit out his tea.

"W-Well...Who is Matthew?"

"Matthew's my little brother. He was the one the other pirates kidnapped."

"Right. Well..I..I suppose...No."

"So, they're just pirates?"

"I..I can't answer that. I'm sorry Alfred, I don't know who or what they are..I don't even know why they did what they did. I was honestly just as surprised as you are now.."

"Oh, I see..", he smiled, almost sadly.

Arthur had no words.

"...", Finally...a nap..

"Hey Arthur, do you think I'll ever be able to see Matthew again?"

At this point, Arthur no longer cared about the nap. He was actually rather interested in the answer to that question as well..

"W-Well...You see, Alfred...Not all pirates are nice."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the Russian pirates that attacked our ship?"

He nodded.

"Well..They aren't nice pirates, but they aren't mean pirates either. They were pirates that attacked us because they discovered we'd received new treasure from the new world..Since no one else is brave enough to venture there alone, they decided stealing from us would be the easier task. They were wrong, but they stopped afterward when they found out we'd obtained a different type of treasure..A treasure that can never be matched in jewelry or gold."

"So they wanted treasure?"

"Yes, but as I said, they did not pursue us when they realized they were unable to gain any. Hence, they're not nice pirates..but they're not the worst out there, either."

"There are worse?"

"Yes. You witnessed first hand the lowest form of pirate out there, I'm afraid."

His eyes seemed to sadden at the thought, "Oh, yeah..But what does that have to do with Matt?"

"...Nice pirates would have left your brother alone..A pirate like Russia wouldn't have attacked, knowing he is not the kind of treasure he is after..A mean pirate..", he trailed off shakily, "A mean pirate, you see..Alfred.."

"Tell me, Arthur!", pleaded the boy, who neared tears, "I wanna know! Where's little brother?!"

"I..I don't know. Nobody may ever know, Alfred..I'm..So sorry. Truly I am."

That seemed to put an end to Alfred's many questions, but it didn't stop the tears that now trailed down his face. On that night Alfred curled up with Arthur, and cried his little heart out for his brother who may be lost to the world forever.

It was an awful sight, Arthur realized, tears really didn't suit any treasure of his one bit.


	5. Chapter 5

Alfred awoke to the sound of cannon fire.

He'd experienced this kind of morning before, and he knew it wasn't long before the attackers made way to the deck. As usual, he stayed behind, locking himself inside of Arthur's cabin. Arthur must have already left, he thought, seeing as the bed was empty.

Unfortunately, there was no way of Alfred seeing the fight, without either being spotted or leaving the room..so it would be a while before he found out. Not that he worried much; After all, Arthur had proved on many occasions that he was indeed a worthy opponent for any pirate. None could hold their own against him, but that wasn't why Alfred admired him so..

He'd taken the captain's words to heart. Surely, any regular pirate wouldn't have done such horrible things..Arthur was different. He had never once made a move to harm any innocent being. Alfred was living proof of that.

However, his wise words also plagued his mind..Was it true, would Alfred truly never see his brother again? And if Arthur is wrong and his brother may still very well be alive, what would Alfred have to do? If there was anything in the world keeping him from seeing his brother..Well..

He wasn't a hero for nothing, after all.

* * *

Arthur slowly made his way to the captain of said opposing ship, one of which he hadn't seen in a fairly long time. In fact, the only other time he'd come in contact with said ship, was the day he'd become a pirate. The crew consisted of one-at the time-a being he hated the most, named Francis Bonnefoy. He was a snide little french frog, and held no kind words. At the time he looked down on Arthur and fully doubted his success as a pirate, and those were the words he'd left with until this very day, when they'd open fire on the ship while the captain was sleeping.

He'd come prepared with a full crew. Smaller than expected, but somehow sufficient. The captain fought alongside two others-of the likes in which Arthur had never met. One was a Spaniard, the other Prussian. That was easy to tell by the way they spoke and looked..At least, for the Spaniard. The Prussian was quite weird and so far he did nothing of any speculation besides proclaim how incredibly "awesome" he was..

Nonetheless, they were enough to hold the rest of his crew back, just barely, while Arthur made way for the frog. He sat nonchalantly on the deck, sword in hand, sipping a glass of wine as if this was a mere greeting.

Arthur drew his sword, "I demand to know what you're doing here! Surely you haven't come to sip that wine and get a good show out of it, have you?"

The french man rose from his seat on the ground, lowering his glass, "Of course not, I've merely come to congratulate your rise in status. You remember my words, no?"

"Of course I do. You're the idiot that truly doubted me, remember?"

"I remember, but I confess, I was being a bit rude. You see, where I come from, it is custom to tease your love before your attract. Have you not adopted the same culture? Tis' a pity, mon ami."

"Lovely, now tell me why you're _really_ here."

The man laughed, before dropping his sword, "I am not here to fight you, mon chere."

Arthur hesitantly, slightly lowered his sword, "Then what are you here for?"

"ANTONIO, GILBERT, drop your weapons.", he shouted at his crew.

Arthur turned to find his own crew, formerly holding their own, ceasing battle. Elizabeta and Roderich seemed to have taken on Gilbert for themselves..The rest focuses on Antonio, seeing as no one else was on board, much to their surprise.

Antonio, Gilbert, and Francis stood side by side, each now facing the captain and his crew.

"I'm sure you've heard of our established trade, no?"

"Trade? What on earth are you talking about, frog?"

"Trade. I'm sure you know. In exchange for peace we take newer, fresher crew members along with us..Then the exchange continues and so on."

"That? You mean your little kidnapping string? Yes, I'm afraid I know all about that. What does that have to do with anything?"

"To get to the point, you know I am a lover, not a fighter. And thus, I hate to see the bloody rages of war..However, the inevitable cannot be stopped, mon chere, and I have no choice but to attack. However, when I am given just a little profit, peace provails and we are all happy, no?"

"That's not exactly to the point. Just tell me why you're here."

"What he means to say is-", interrupted Antonio, "We've come for a new edition to our crew, and in return we don't attack your little ship."

"You expect me to hand over a crew mate just so I won't have to wage battle with you? Have you lost your bloody mind?"

"Not at all, mon ami. You see, we don't only exchange peace..We also exchange crew hands, if you would like. Our trade is kept below the deck. If you don't want to exchange person for peace, perhaps we may exchange person for person?"

"..What person did you have in mind, exactly?"

"That depends on what you're interested in. We have a currently limited array of choices at the moment, but they are both wildly popular. Both have been on this ship since the dawn of time! One hails from Italy, one hails from the new world."

"Who's from the new world?", interrupted a little voice.

The ship stared in awe at the boy, emerging below the deck.

"Alfred!", shouted Arthur, "Get back in my cabin, this instant!"

He ignored Arthur, and proceeded forward toward the opposing ship.

"Who's from the new world?"

In half shock and half politeness, Francis knelt down to meet the boy face to face.

"You are a very cute little boy, no? Would you like to see who we have in stock today?"

"What do you mean in stock?"

"They sell people, Alfred.", sighed Arthur, "Now run along! We don't need you up here, they were offering exchange and nothing more. Naturally it's not going to happen-"

"Matthew! We have a buyer!~", sang the french men, cutting Arthur off.

Alfred's jaw dropped in awe and surprise as a blond boy, similar to himself, appeared above the deck, clutching a snow white stuffed panda.

"A-Alfred?", whispered the boy, "Oh my god! Is it really you?"

No words necessary, Alfred ran like the wind, straight for his brother.

Up until a sword cut him off, blocking his path. He looked up to greet a strange man with white hair and crimson red eyes.

He clicked his tongue in disappointment, "No one touches the product if you are not willing to pay. Surely a child like you wouldn't want to owe a crap-wad of money to a bunch of pirates?"

Before Arthur could protest and draw his own sword, Alfred knocked the weapon away and ran after his brother, despite the shouts of protest.

Gilbert rubbed his wrist and reached for his sword, half-surprised at the boys strength.

"Matthew!", cried Alfred, hugging his brother tightly, "What happened to you?! I thought you were dead!"

"I thought you were dead too, Alfred!"

"So, you have an interest in the new world child, no?", cooed France, now patting Matthew's head, "He is one of my most prized possessions. Almost like a treasure, but not quite. To earn a treasure, you have to work for it, no?"

Barely able to understand, Alfred shrugged, stepping away from the strange man.

"ALFRED GET OUT OF HERE!", shouted Arthur, currently restrained by the two others who came along with France.

The crew was defenseless, as somewhere in the mess, Arthur was held with a sword at the throat.

Alfred was lost, confused, amazed and desperate all at once. He had nowhere to run, and no way to save his brother..On top of that, Arthur was in danger and it was all his fault. What was a hero to do now? If he couldn't run, then what?..

"You trade people, for people, right?", quietly asked Alfred, gently tapping on the man's flashy clothes to get his attention.

"Oui. What do you have in mind, little one?"

"...", hesitantly, he looked back at Arthur, fighting tears, "I want to..Can I.."

"I'm very busy. Spit it out, mon ami."

"I wanna trade myself. I can do that, right?"

"ALFRED!"

"I thought you'd never ask!~", sang the frog, "Here, take your little brother. He may stay with the crew and in return, you come with me.", he eagerly pushed Matthew toward the distressed pirates.

They returned their gazes toward the Arthur, fighting his way out of the pirates grips, running after Alfred.

The pirates wouldn't give up, as they recaptured the captain and tackled him to the floor where they pinned him on his stomach at sword point-just in time to see Francis taking Alfred's little hand in his own, and walking off below the deck with Arthur's greatest treasure.


	6. Chapter 6

_ "Arthur!~", cried a cheerful voice as Arthur swung the boy up into his arms._

_"Hello my little Alfred. How are you? I haven't gotten the chance to see you all day."_

_ Alfred clung to his neck, hugging tightly and throwing himself into a fit of giggles, "It was fun. What about you? Did you do anything cool?"_

_"My dear boy, being a pirate is the coolest thing a man like me could ever do."_

_"Really? That's so cool!"_

_"Indeed. Now, let's run along. It's time for bed."_

_"Yay! You'll tell me another story, won't you?"_

_"..I suppose I have some spare time. Why not?"_

_"This time, you be the hero!"_

_"Me? A hero? Are you quite sure?", he chuckled._

_ The boy nodded eagerly, as he was carried off into the captain's cabin quarters. _

_ So, Alfred curled up next to Arthur as he listened closely to the imaginative tale._

_"..There once was a man named Arthur. He was a mighty, vicious pirate..Up until the very day he met a cute little villager, named Alfred."_

_"That's my name!~"_

_"Yes it is.", chuckled Arthur, playfully ruffling the boys hair._

_"Arthur grew quite attached to little Alfred, and soon felt it necessary to take the boy aboard his ship. Together, they lived a care-free life of ease.."_

_"And then what?"_

_"Until the day..A monstrous sea-devil attacked the ship, and gripped Alfred in one of it's slimy tentacles!"_

_ Alfred seemed to react to the story, gasping once the story had reached every climax._

_"...Then, the captain of the ship, slashed at the monster and wiped out all of it's arms and legs..then, little Alfred was set free and they lived happily ever after..", he trailed off with a long yawn._

_ Apparently, yawning really was contagious, as Alfred let out a small little yawn before curling further under the blankets._

_"Hey Arthur?"_

_"Yes, Alfred?"_

_"You'll always be my hero, right?"_

_ Surprised, he hesitated, before nodding happily, "Should the situation arise, I'll always be there for you. I promise."_

_"That's good. I love you Arthur."_

_ He hummed in approval, "I love you too, Alfred. So long as you'll always be my one and only precious treasure.", he chuckled teasingly._

_ This time, Alfred let out another yawn, and drifted quietly to sleep, before barely mumbling the words, _

_"I promise."_

* * *

Arthur awoke from his slumber in a fright, dreading the moment he ever fell asleep.

..Well, technically, he didn't fall asleep. The rage he'd with-held suddenly drew back into a fiery fit of fury, and a swift blow to the back of the head was all that it took to knock him out cold. That was the only reason Alfred wasn't on this ship right now, so he'd like to believe. The little boy Matthew had fallen asleep long ago, obediently sleeping below the deck with Elizebata.

"..Damn.", the captain squirmed in his seat, realizing someone had placed him at his desk, "Why do I dream of such things? Why now?.."

Searching for any type of relief, he quickly turned to his secret stash of liquor. The finest alcohol had been gathered and thrown into his cabin over the years, remaining untouched until this very moment. With Alfred around, he'd no need for such things. That boy was all he needed to suppress the pain, until it was completely forgotten.

Slamming the nearest beer bottle down on the desk, hard, he realized the sound of glass knocking wood had been muffled by the thin veil of paper cluttering his thinking space. Un-amused by this sudden turn of events, he crumpled the paper and was prepared to launch it somewhere, or rather anywhere, else until he noticed the scribbled, hastily written reminder.

"_Don't forget. Alfred's birthday. July 4th._"

"..I see.", he bitterly sighed as he took another swig, "Tomorrow is Alfred's birthday. That's why I've had such a dream.."

Realizing he had completely defeat the purpose of trying to get pissed off his ass drunk, he angrily threw the bottle at the wall, straight across the room, and his nerves remained scrambled until the clear sound of glass shattering soothed his mind.

If only that was France's face. Bloody frog..What he wouldn't do to punch France in the balls right now.

How could he have gotten away with this? How could this have happened? This should have all been prevented..If only..

If only Arthur was really a hero. Life would have been easier for the both of them..

"Damn.", Arthur grit his teeth, repeatedly striking himself in the head, "I was supposed to be the hero for once! He needed me!"

"This isn't fair..", he barely mumbled as he took another swig from a different bottle entirely, "I was supposed to save him. I promised him..I promised him I would always be there..Why..Why..Why did this have to happen. My greatest..My..My only treasure..Alfred. Dear god, why."

That was the last thing he remembered muttering to himself, before the alcohol soothed him into another well-deserved nap.

* * *

Naturally, the damned crew felt it necessary to restrain the poor lad..All he'd wanted to do was roam about and explore..Just for a little bit. Haven't they ever heard of making light of a bad situation? That was all he could do to keep his mind from wandering about..He didn't want to think about Arthur.

The look on Arthur's face when he left..It shattered his heart into a million pieces. Not because Arthur had promised he would always protect him; That's not what he needed. It looked as though Arthur's soul had broken, and his heart had been shattered and stomped on right in front of him..and there was nothing Alfred could do about it.

As much as he wanted Arthur to be happy, Matthew was his brother. He wanted his brother to feel safe too...and who knows, maybe Arthur will be better off with Matthew as a little brother instead. After all, in the short years he'd gotten to know Matthew, he'd always been just a little more mature, obedient, less..obnoxious. Honestly, Arthur was the only one who'd the patience to tolerate a child like Alfred..and he could not have been more grateful.

..But, he supposed for now..A happy Matthew and Arthur was all that mattered..

Alfred glared bitterly at the shackles on his wrist, restraining him to a rust bench below the deck. The crew had been surprisingly nice about it, apologizing for the current living condition and claimed they were down on their luck..But Alfred didn't want to hear it. They'd captured his attention when they pointed out the others in the room..Or rather, other.

The only other prisoner sat across from him, shackled in more or less the same way, shooting angry looks and death threats in every direction. The man he'd learnt to be Antonio would come in every once in a while and offer the boy something stupid, like a tomato or whatever else he thought the boy might like to see. The child he'd soon after learnt to be Romano, merely retaliated with an insult and attempted to head-butt the man in the stomach. He was usually successful.

Alfred hadn't tried starting a conversation with Romano yet, and hopefully..he wouldn't have to. Honestly, the kid scared him a little.

"I've got good news!", interrupted a cheerful voice, practically throwing the door open.

It was Antonio.

"We're docking at Tortuga soon! Isn't that great? We have a second chance, Romano! Soon, we will have your freedom!"

Romano looked up with a half surprised, half happy, but mostly irritated face and claimed, "You're lying! You know that's not going to happen. Why would I trust you?!"

"I know I've said it before, Romano. But this time I'm serious!", he exclaimed cheerfully while this time, clutching Romano and pulling him into a seemingly very tight hug.

"...", Romano fought to fight the blush making its way to his face, "I..I don't know what you think you're up to..b-but.."

"This time we have the money. We can buy your freedom now! Isn't that great? We just need to sell the boy to another pirate crew, pocket the cash and then you are free to go! No one will care because the child is Arthur's and Arthur is more or less a puta.."

"Arthur is not a puma!", cried Alfred, "He's big, and brave, and strong, and he's going to save me!"

Antonio turned his attention toward Alfred, a calm look painting his face.

In one swift moment he ran over to the shackles and...

ruffled Alfred's hair.

"Look, little guy..", he smiled sadly, "I don't really want to do this, but..You see..I care about Romano, just like you care about Matthew, no?"

"..What do you mean?"

"Romano is a slave. He was sold into slavery at a young age, when he was separated from his brother..After that, I gathered a pirate ship and eventually we got him back..but Romano is still a slave. He cannot have his freedom until he pays his way out of debt. The only way to do that, is to make enough money to buy Romano for myself..but..it's expensive and..", he coughed before continuing, "I..I hope very good pirates take you in."

With those words, the man left both boys below the deck, and shut the door.

The lights went out, as he assumed it was nighttime, and sulked sadly, thankful the dim light disguised his tears.

"I don't want a pirate..", he barely whispered, "I want Arthur.."

If there was ever a time Arthur needed to be a hero..Now was perfect.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, I didn't get the chance to say it but I'm sorry about any misspellings at all..For example, I'm pretty sure I spelled Hungary's human name wrong a few times, and maybe even Austria's..I'm not for sure really, but if you catch any mistakes I really am sorry. I'm doing my best and the next chapter will be out soon enough.**


	7. Chapter 7

The captain had drunk himself sick again. His crew had noticed a change in atmosphere the moment Alfred left, and it had indeed taken a large toll on the captain. Not only had he spent most of his time getting completely wasted, but his crew was barely allowed two feet near him, lest they face the captain's vices and endless stories of why he hates Francis til death, his or his own.

Needless to say, it was a depressing sight. It had been a week since the incident, and so far they'd had no lead on the ship, the crew, Alfred, or their destination. Their best chance had been following the trade route, but Francis had apparently kept Matthew below the deck at all times, thus making it impossible to memorize any specific locations. So, unfortunately, Matthew was unable to help either.

He didn't like that feeling..No one did. It took all power in his will, body, and mind to find the strength to lightly tap on the captain's door, right after his self-scheduled nap where he may or may not wake up with a hangover depending on circumstance..Hopefully not at the moment, at least.

"Come in.", muttered a groggy voice.

Matthew cracked the door, barely peeking through before a beer bottle was thrown past his head, shattering against the wall. Looking down, he realized that was only one of many..In fact, they'd scratched the floor a little.

"..C..Captain?", he shyly whispered, "I..I just wanted to talk to you.."

"Spit it out.", he sighed, head buried in his arms.

"I..I wanted to talk to you about Alfred."

"I don't know where he is. He's never coming back..That's fine. I'm used to being alone. It's perfectly fine."

"..But, I..I don't think we should give up yet."

"What's the bloody point of trying. We have no idea where the ship is headed, and we don't even know the name of the bloody ship they were on-"

"The BTT."

"The BTT? What on earth kind of name is that?!"

".It..It's an acronym, it stands for Bad Touch Trio..I..I can understand why they called it that..and it's not pretty."

"What do you mean, it's not pretty? What on earth could they have done to earn a name like that-"

"..."

"No..You're telling me Alfred is trapped on a ship with a perverted frog who has a strange infatuation with "exploring" those around him."

"..I..I suppose..but I don't think anything's happened to Alfred yet. At the time he only seemed interested in..Well, me."

"..I'm very sorry, Matthew. None of this should have ever happened to you."

"..W-Well..It's not as bad as it seems. They were actually really nice to me..They gave me good food, and lots of water, and we actually had allot of fun..It was just.."

"..That doesn't make sense, Matthew. How could you have had any fun when you were sold place to place on a ship such as that?"

"I wasn't really sold. When I was captured, Francis bought me..and he didn't treat me like a slave at all..He just kept me below the deck in case of any attacks. I wasn't alone, either. There was a really..well..he wasn't very friendly, but he was company.."

"Yes, well..What does any of that have to do with Alfred?"

"They're not as bad as they seem. They may have made a few mistakes, but they're not the ones who destroyed our village..It was like that before they got there, but they captured me anyway because I was one of the only kids in the village, and Alfred wasn't old enough at the time to really travel anywhere.."

"Alfred wasn't old enough? But Alfred said you were his little brother. How is that possible?"

Matthew huffed in annoyance, "He thinks he's older because he's taller than me."

Somehow, that made sense.

"Well, anyway..What do you suppose we do about this, Matthew? Unless we have a way to track them down..We could both truly lose Alfred forever."

"I say we follow their ship. We'll do whatever it takes and find Alfred, because Alfred's a hero and if this were to happen to any of us..He'd do the same."

Arthur chuckled, half-amused with Matthew's newly found confidence, "You're right. He is quite the hero isn't he.."

Matthew held his bear close, before quietly whispering, "You're a hero too, captain Kirkland sir. Without you..I would never have seen Alfred again..It was nice to see him one more time. I really missed him.."

He hummed before dropping another beer bottle into the trash can, "You act as if you'll never see him again."

"Well..If you don't do anything, I won't.."

Ah, he'd been waiting to hear those words, he knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time until someone on this ship intruded his person space to confront him about his self-destructive routine..Well, at least he'd expected his crew more or less, he hadn't imagined being scolded by a child, who looked (but apparently wasn't) younger than Alfred.

Which brings him to his next matter of business.

Captain Arthur Kirkland was a ruthless pirate, who braved all expenses and set no limit to his rule. He was the most feared pirate among the seven seas and if anyone else were to discover the way he'd let himself go after one loss, he would be the butt of everyone's jokes for generations to come.

There were a few things every good pirate new about Captain Kirkland.

1) He's the best damned British pirate to ever set sail.

2) He's got a thing for treasure, and alcohol.

3) He is most definitely _**NOT**_ one to be taken lightly. _Ever._

__"I've been a fool.", he barely chuckled, before standing up tall, despite his slight buzz.

Matthew merely smiled as the captain regained his composure, quickly straightened out the apparent mess he'd made of his outfit, and tread proudly toward the door.

Upon a loud opening, he made himself announced. Even the crew was surprised.

"Raise the sails! Raise the anchor! Leave no stone un-turned and prepare for battle! I want constant repairs and preparation being made to the ship, I don't care how long it takes! We take no breaks until we've found the idiots who decided to mess with Captain Arthur Kirkland!"

His words shot off like bullets, alarming nearby crew who may or may not have already been working, some picked up the pace, some quickly grabbed hammers and nails, others worked diligently to follow his every command.

Slightly impressed with himself, the captain cracked a faint smirk. The booze hadn't done their trick nearly as fast as the very thought of defeating Francis in any kind of combat..

Sure, he was kind to Matthew and for that he may consider sparing his life..

But no pirate has ever gotten away with taking something precious from Arthur, and just for that, he will indeed pay dearly.

Oh, there was definitely hell to be paid.

"Captain!", shouted Basch, "We're sea-worthy, where are the coordinates!"

"Find the nearest inhabited pirate ship and attack. We're gathering all information we can about this so-called _BTT_ and when we do find them, prepare for battle. There will indeed be a long one."

* * *

They'd gone through five pirate ships so far, and their own had taken consequential damage. However, that wasn't enough to stop the captain's attacks, and even if he had no ship to call his own, it wouldn't stop him from swimming to the nearest pirate, and attacking hand-to-hand on his own. Crew or no crew.

So far he'd bested every single pirate, every captain, and any challenge he'd come to face. At this point, even his crew was a little afraid of him..Needless to say, there were no arguments to come that day. At all.

The ship that had just been boarded consisted of a fewer crew, who seemed not at all ready for any form of battle..Strangely enough.

"Where is the captain!", shouted Arthur, sword drawn.

A weak sounding voice came from the opposite side of the ship, before running out on deck..Right in front of Arthur.

"Please!", the boy begged, "Please don't hurt Mr. Ludwig! He's a good person, I swear it! He's just a little scary looking.."

"Who on earth are you?", he looked down at the little one standing before him..Was he wearing a dress?

"I'm Feliciano, and Mr. Ludwig is the captain..He's still young, though, so please don't hurt him!"

"Young? Why on earth would a child be manning this ship!"

"Who are you called young!", shouted an angry voice on the opposite corner of the ship.

..He was indeed young, but not as young as Arthur would like to believe. He looked at least sixteen or seventeen..Was he really the captain?

"I am Ludwig Beilschmidt. V'we have no official captain at the moment so if you v'would like to discuss trade and such, you'll have to take your business else'v'where."

"You have no captain? Isn't that a little dangerous?", he sighed, lowering his sword.

"It's not dangerous!", cheered the little boy, "Ludwig will protect all of us, and we have a really nice Asian pirate on board too! We're all safe!"

"..Well..If that's the case then I apologize for the intrusion, but I'm seeking information.. Do any of you know anything about a ship called the BTT?"

"No clue!~"

"I know nothing of ship names, only captain's. If he is v'well known, I may have heard of him.

"There are three captain's.", corrected Arthur, "From my understanding and research, their names are Francis Bonnefoy, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, and Gilbert Bielschmidt.."

"Ludwig's big brother!", cheered the little boy again.

"Silence Feliciano!" He snapped, "There is no reason my brother v'would be on a ship like that. He disappeared, that's all."

"Does he have white hair and red eyes?"

"..V'what's it to you!"

"Gilbert has all of that!~"

"Be quiet Feliciano!"

"What is with a'r'll the commotion?", asked a slightly older looking Asian boy.

"Kiku!", cheered Feliciano, again, "We found Ludwig's big brother!"

"That is wonderfu'r'l, Ludwig-kun.."

"Stay out of this, Kiku, nothing happened! It is not him!"

"I don't mean to interrupt,", sighed Arthur, "But I am on a schedule. Is there anything you know about this man that may help me in my case?"

"None at all!~"

"Sorry, no."

"H..He is my older brother. V'we v'were separated two years ago and I haven't seen him since."

"I'm sorry to hear that..", he sighed again, "Is there..Anything I can do?"

In all honestly, he did feel quite sorry for the child..After all, he'd witnessed too many families torn apart due to notorious acts like such.

Before he was ready to walk away, the child spoke up again, "I..I do know v'where he may or may not be.."

"..Really?", he stopped and turned back around, "Any information would be useful, really.."

"He..He's a beer drinker. Anyv'where there is a bar, he is bound to be close by. I also know he v'was always planning on establishing a trade route where he could import liquor from all over the v'world..I don't know how v'well it worked out, but anywhere population is ideal and bars are frequent..He..He might..May or may not be.", he sighed, clearly out of breath.

Arthur barely smiled, before turning back to face his own ship once more, "I know where they're heading."

"Wait!", the little voice stopped him once more, this time, Feliciano's.

He tugged on his jacket, "Can we go with you? It's been so long since we've seen the captain!"

"He was your captain?"

Ludwig bitterly sighed, "Ja, he v'was.."

"Ludwig!~ Ludwig!~ Can we go with them? Pretty please with pasta on top?!~"

"...", he twitched in slight anger, turned toward both of his crew members, before looking Arthur dead in the eye..

"..Ja. Fine, v'whatever."

Arthur merely smirked at all of them, before loading them each onto his own ship, securing the deck, and shouting orders. Then, and only then, did he mark their final destination.

"Forward! On to Tortuga, men!"


	8. Chapter 8

It wasn't long before the morning light hit Alfred's tear-stricken face. He'd only just barely heard the irritated complaints of the crew above-ship, displeased with the child who insisted on whining for "Arthur" all through the night, until the very moment he fell asleep.

Judging his own uncharacteristic, much too childish before, it was no wonder the trio themselves had kept him on a very tight leash that day..literally.

As he figured, the moment he was taken above the musky deck, he had shortly learned that their current course was headed dead for Tortuga, the land in which he'd separate from England, forever. Needless to say, he began to sob, and by then the trio had exchanged dull, almost pained look, but did not hesitate from binding his hands together with a long red ribbon as they guided him throughout the ship.

He tried to silence his own desperate cries for..anything. Help, Arthur, Matthew, a hero..anything. Alas, his effort worked in vein as the ship soon departed their lone dock on an unfamiliar island, and soon, Tortuga came to view.

Arthur had once spun a few stories of that faraway land..It was a land solely for pirates, where they would roam free and wild, run and wreak havoc on whomever crossed their path. It was an unholy place, where the sun shone brightly, but little light was found. Dark shadows were cast across all who entered, and a warning on those who dare turn their backs for even a moment. It was ghastly, disguised by heavens light, offering no return to a clear path.

Arthur knew because he too, had once walked that darkened road.

* * *

_"Arthur old boy! Come on in here, where have you been?"_

_"Hello father, I was out for a little walk. Pardon my tardiness, I'll have to dress myself in a moment. Is dinner ready?"_

_"Indeed."_

_"What will we be having?"_

_"Scones!"_

_ He returned a faded smile at the thought of a delicious snack, quickly fading as he redirected his attention to his own unstable appearance...It wasn't long now, father would ask questions..It was only a matter of time._

_"..."_

_"..."_

_ An uncomfortable silence rang through as Arthur clutched his books to his chest, searching for even the slightest hint of conversation._

_"So, son, mind telling me how you've gotten so dirty?"_

_"It was nothing, really. Tripped and fell in some mud, that's all."_

_ The father let out a bitter laugh, before offering a vague smile, "Is that so? Best be careful then. We wouldn't want to stain your new clothes. Do try to be a little less clumsy."_

_"Yes sir.", he sighed in feigned relief, "I'll go wash up now."_

_ He nodded, waving the boy off._

_ At the time, Arthur was only seventeen...soon to go on eighteen. Time was passing by, as was his life, and as the moment of truth approached, he was faced with a question._

_ How long would he be able to put up with the tedious task of lying to his father?_

_ Surely he wouldn't understand..That man lacked all sense of reason and compassion. He was incapable of compromise, and Arthur wasn't really willing to try either.._

_ He shrugged it off for the moment, taking a deep breath before discarding his dirty clothes in his dimly lit room. It had been a long day for him. _

_ His schedule had been piling up lately. _

_ First thing in the morning, he was to awake and cook breakfast as his brothers and parents were unwilling to do so for themselves. They much relied on their sons (mostly, Arthur) without question, so he'd dealt with that for quite some time. After that he'd ready himself for school and face an even harder task of paying attention, all the while avoiding the tainted faces he'd pass in the halls. Even back then, people were quite rude. _

_ However, it was all worth while. So long as he stayed in high school, he was promised a job on the docks where he would work to his hearts desire, around the very few things he truly loved. The ocean, ships, and vast freedom as far as the eye could see. _

_ Though he quite appreciated his life, as it wasn't the worst there was to offer, he was rather..unsatisfied. His father would never approve of his longing-the need for excitement, adventure, discovery..A pirate's life. Surely he'd never understand. Even minor spats with that man had gotten well out of hand from time to time, and he had the bruises to prove it. Unfortunately, his brothers had taken after their father and soon carried out his vices..Not often, but enough so Arthur soon grew weary of this life. _

_ Oh well, he carried on. So long as he had the slightest taste of promise, he would suffice. _

_ The shipwright approached him later that day, as he was hard at work, scrubbing barnacles off the side of the dock. _

_"Afternoon, Arthur. Hard at work again, I see?"_

_"Quite.", he stated in a rapid breath, as he raised from his much uncomfortable position. _

_"Earning your money, are we?"_

_"..No, I'm afraid not."_

_"No money for all that work?", the gruff man chuckled, "You're mad."_

_"We've been over this.", he bitterly sighed, "If I bring home more than my fair share of money, father will become suspicious..After that, it wouldn't be long before he tracked me down to the docks.."_

_ The man hummed and rubbed his chin for a moment as Arthur returned to work, before wandering off to places unknown._

_ Arthur had just scraped yet another barnacle off of the dock and his hands were growing numb..At least he'd grow a callous or two. Wiping sweat from his brows, he continued effortlessly..slightly demotivated at the thought of working far too hard, yet earning absolutely no pay at the end of the day.._

_ Was this really worth it?_

_ All father really wanted was a smart son. One who would obey no matter what, never question him, and perform every task exactly as expected, and then some. However, Arthur had quickly found himself incapable of fulfilling even the slightest of father's demands. Beating himself up after a well-deserved beating from his brothers, he'd soon given up on himself, just as father had given up on him. It was then he discovered, at the rate he was going, he would surely amount to nothing. _

_.. Perhaps that's why he seeks refuge from the wild sea, and longs for so much more._

_BOOM!_

_ Alarmed, Arthur rose from his position, quickly cracked his neck and scanned the docks frantically._

_ Cannon fire, perhaps?_

_"..No.", he sighed, "Just the shipwright."_

_"What is this?", he asked, pointing to the large wooden crate that had been quite loudly dropped beside him. _

_"This.", the man smirked, placing one foot on the crate, "Is a gift."_

_"A gift? Now it looks like you've gone mad."_

_"If I go mad, it's all because of you. Besides, you're mistaking this for kindness..This is merely a favor."_

_"What kind of favor?"_

_"A favor from me to you. However, as you know, nothing is free in life.."_

_ Understatement._

_"Thus, I hope you're willing to roll up your sleeves and get to work, because I'm going to give you hell up until the day you graduate. When that happens, you can have exactly what's in this little crate here."_

_"..How do I know it's not something stupid?"_

_"Well.", he chuckled, "That depends on how badly you want to know. Based on your position, I'd say you're not one to argue, and I won't have to worry about you trying to figure anything out for yourself, will I?"_

_"..I suppose not."_

_"Then we have nothing to worry about."_

_ With that final statement, he knelt down and dropped a much too heavy chain on the crate, before sealing it tightly with the medal lock, and with a final nod, he walked away._

_ Arthur raised a bushy eyebrow at the box..but restrained and went back to work._

_ His schedule switched up a bit after that, as did his relationship with his father._

_ On some days he would work like a dog, and glare at that crate as if it had commit the ultimate sin. Then he would return home to his father and face harder questions, sometimes ending in a fight. On other days, work was kind and he smiled happily at the box as curiosity swelled inside of him. Restraining himself was an easy task, as graduation was only a month away now. Both his father and the shipwright were having fun poking at his inner thoughts. _

_"Sometimes I wonder if you're even worth it.", he thought bitterly, once again faced with his least-favorite task of scraping barnacles as he glanced quickly at the taunting crate._

_It __**was.**_

_Most definitely, it was._

_ Graduation day arrived, and as expected, he was hounded by his mother, father, and many brothers. They'd polished him to shine and stressed the fact that he was under no circumstances to demolish the family name. They were proud people, and they expected nothing less than excellence and perfection from their son._

_ As he expected, that was far from his capability. _

_ The graduation ceremony went well enough for him, at least. By the blank expression on his families faces, he could tell that they were not pleased with his lack of outstanding. He'd yet to show up the other students, even though he had tried his best to work hardest throughout every single school day, physically and mentally._

_ Work on the dock was easy, and as promised, he was given the key to the crate._

_ With a smile on his face, he unlocked it (rather forcefully), practically ripping it apart in the process._

_ Inside, lay a piece of worn parchment paper with something scribbled on the top.._

_"What is this?!", he asked in outrage, throwing the paper on the ground, "You promised something worthwhile, I worked for this! For a month I've endured nothing but constant bickering from both sides and..!"_

_"Calm down Arthur. Look closely."_

_ He took a deep breath and picked up the paper, taking one glance before narrowing his eyebrows, "What is this supposed to be? It looks like a diagram of a ship."_

_"You're wrong there.", he sighed as he reached into the crate, pulling out a pen and a little tin of ink, "It's your ship."_

_"...You're kidding me.", he gasped in delight and horror._

_"Absolutely not.", he laughed as he pat the boy (or now perhaps, man) roughly on the back._

_ He quickly took the feathered pen, dipped it in the ink, and neatly printed the word "__**BRITTANIA**__" on the top of the page._

_ Arthur could only return a look of gratitude and a sweaty handshake as he rushed off to home, just for a moment.._

_ After all, he had to say goodbye. _

* * *

"Bloody hell.", whined Arthur as he cracked his neck, realizing he'd fell asleep at his desk once again.

The last thing he remembered was double checking the routes to Tortuga, and arranging cabins for his new guests and maybe ship mate.

He felt a bit estranged, however. His dream had come to him out of the blue. He all too well remembered how that story ended..

His parents had disowned him later that day, the minute he revealed the truth, and he received nothing but harsh words from both his mother, father, and each one of his brothers..including Peter, the youngest.

After that he'd met a french frog on the docks, set sail, and hastily gathered a crew at Tortuga.

"Captain!", called Elizabeta as she knocked on the door, "Captain! Are you awake?"

"Indeed.", he groggily answered, before coughing, "I mean yes. What is it?"

"We're approaching new coordinates."

"I see. In that case, dead onward."

"What for, captain? You haven't said a word since we've boarded!", she huffed.

"Right then.", he sighed, before slamming the door open, all eyes on him.

"ONWARD, FOR TORTUGA."

* * *

Sorry for the late update guys. I was on vacation for a week...I'm sore all over.


	9. Chapter 9

"What are we going to do now?", huffed Antonio, "Without the money we will never have our Lovino's freedom!"

"Antonio, I am just as upset as you are mon cher, but what are we to do? This is out of our hands.."

"Damn.", sighed the exhausted Prussian, "V'we were so damn close!"

"So you two are just going to give up?! What about Lovino?!"

"What do you expect us to do?!", they cried in unison.

"Something! Anything!"

Currently, the infamous trio sat around a lone circle in the middle of the deck, ship currently halted at the nearest dock. Why? They had just received a hefty bit of terrible news..They just needed a moment to process.

"What are we going to do now that they raised the price?"

"I don't know, Antonio, think of how we feel!"

"You shouldn't feel anything, you weren't as close to him as I was!"

"V'we told you, never get attached to anything in a pirates life. That's never good and it only ends in heart break."

"You're just saying that because-"

"Don't even bring them up!"

"Boys, boys! Calm down! We will never get anywhere if we keep arguing! Just calm down for a moment and we can sort this out.."

"Oh really Francis? What do you suggest we do!"

"I don't have any solid ideas..", he sighed as he scratched the back of his head, "But I know you are right, Antonio. We can't just give up when we've come so far. If we do now we'll soil the name of our countries!"

In a quaint moment of silence, they sat in peace, exchanging longing faces.

Each had a heavy burden weighing on mind, whether it be visible or not to the other crew mates, the children, or each other..they didn't care.

It's been about an hour since they'd heard the news, and they just couldn't quite wrap their minds around it.

"How do we tell Lovino?"

"We don't!"

"Shut it, Gilbert, I wasn't asking you! I'm asking someone who cares!"

"Why should I care about some damn brat! He's just a kid, there are plenty more out there you damn pedophile!"

"At least I care enough to keep him by my side, one who abandons their own flesh and blood has no room to talk to me about anything!"

"You know damn fucking v'well that I-"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

They turned their attention toward the worn captain.

"..Look at what you two made me do.", he sighed, "I'm a lover, not a fighter. I gave up my poor little Matthieu for what? Just so they could raise the damn prices? At this rate I'll never see my Matthieu again and Lovino will always live in fear.."

"..Life is cruel, isn't it Francis?"

"You said it Antonio.", huffed Gilbert, "Sorry for not being completely totally awesome, but life as a pirate takes its toll on some people.."

"You said it.", he sighed, "I'm sorry too. Besides, neither of us should complain..", he half whispered as he leaned closer, "Just look at what happened to Francis. If anything he's a role model, I don't know what I'd do if I ever-"

"Are you two talking about me?"

"Oh.", he gulped, "I was just telling Gilbert a story.."

"You're telling him about Joanne aren't you?"

"...I'm sorry."

"No, no mon cher, it's alright. It's about time he knew."

"V'what? Know v'what?"

Antonio gave him a silent shush as they sat in silence, avoiding Francis' saddened gaze.

"He might as well here the story from me.", he sighed.

It had been a long night. Francis had just finished his shift at the local bakery, less than eager to return home..Not that he'd really had much of a home to return to.

He'd reached a bleak point in his life. His parents had long gone by now and there was nothing he could do about it. They'd gone off and fought in the war, never to return..He hadn't acquired all the details, not that he wanted to, but he could tell that whatever had happened to them wasn't a pretty sight.

However, he'd found quite the bit of peace in baking..It cleared his mind, even if only for a moment. He lived alone in a large empty house, taking care of himself. He'd dropped out of school quite some time ago and now worked full time at the bakery. The manager had died, unfortunately leaving most of the work and official business to none other than himself.

For the most part he'd gotten used to the routine, it was a profitable job after all. Surrounded by pastries, new customers here and there to greet with a smile, and on occasion a lovely young woman would enter his quaint little store..

However, throughout every girl he'd ever met, every beautiful face, hers stood out the most.

"Hello?", she called as she entered the seemingly empty shop, "Is anyone here?"

He caught her attention as he took his seat at the counter, waving her in.

"Come in, come in mademoiselle, how are you?"

She smiled as she took her seat in front of the counter across from him, "I'm fine, thank you. Now I was looking for some pastries? I'm new here and I don't know where everything is.."

"You've come to the right place. I serve none other than the best pastries France has to offer. Help yourself to anything, my treat."

"That's kind of you, thank you. May I ask what your name is?"

"My name is Francis Bonnefoy, and what is yours?"

"My name is Jeanne d'Arc."

"What a beautiful name, for a beautiful lady."

"You're too kind.", she chuckled.

"Now, anything that's caught your interest, you just let me know."

"You're right, something has caught my interest. However, it's not a pastry. Is that alright with you?"

Surprisingly, he found himself blushing, "Anything you enjoy is perfectly fine with me, name it and it's yours."

"Gladly, Francis. I'll come see you tomorrow then?"

"It's a date!~"

"Wonderful.", she chuckled one last time before she left the store.

...Without buying pastries of any kind.

"If this is some type of stupid love story I'm going to bed!"

"Quiet Gilbert, this is just getting good!"

"You be quiet, Antonio, v'what is the point of this story!"

"I'm getting to the point! Be patient!"

"Hurry up frenchy!"

"Not you too, why must everyone call me that?!"

"Get on with the story!", huffed Antonio.

"Ahem.", he coughed, "As I was saying."

* * *

_She came back again the next day, without buying a pastry, and repeated the same pattern everyday after that..At this point, Francis was a happy fool, his only worry was the fact she'd still yet to buy anything..Were they dating? Was she his? Did she have someone at home?.._

_Well, she's beautiful, it would only make sense._

_His doubts retracted the day she walked into the store, beautiful as always, (that was the first thing that came to mind) and finally asked him the fated question.._

_"Francis, are there any other girls that come to your store like this?"_

_He chuckled silently to himself, before shaking his head, "No mon cheri, you are the only one. You are quite an extraordinary girl, I've yet to meet another like you..In fact, I don't believe I ever will. You are truly one of a kind, aren't you?"_

_"As kind as ever, Francis.", she sighed in a fit of relief, "..In case you were wondering, I don't see anyone else regularly like I've been doing with you, something tells me you're very special.."_

_He hummed silently, "You've been here for a week now haven't you? How about I take you around town and show you where everything is..How does a night under the stars sound to you?"_

_"It sounds wonderful."_

_"I'll see you tomorrow night then?"_

_"It's a date!~", she mimicked._

_The night in the town was perfect. Holding hands with the girl of his dreams, under the stars while the moon illuminated her beautiful blonde hair..She was perfection at its finest. Nothing compared to her stunning..everything. She was a rose._

_At this point, he truly believed life couldn't get any better, he continued to see her for another two years, and he looked forward to opening shop everyday. He no longer flirt with any other girls who set foot in his store, somehow she stole his heart, and she became his entire world..It was a truly wonderful feeling._

_He never expected bliss like this to hurt so badly, it nearly ripped him apart.._

_It began when she stood him up for the first time. He'd waited to anxiously at his shop, ready to take her out for their two year anniversary, it was the night he was going to propose._

_He'd hoped she was busy, that she was just a little late, that she was going to show up eventually.._

_The same thing happened the next day. She'd yet to show up and at this point he was more than a little worried..Not a day had gone by that she hadn't visit his store..This wasn't like her._

_Hopeful, he waited patiently for the next day to arrive..He wouldn't give up on his Jeanne. She'd waltz in his store any minute now and he'd get on one knee and ask for her hand._

_He slugged out of bed, lazily tossing his clothes on and headed over to his bakery, silently praying for any sign of Jeanne.._

_A parchment letter was placed outside of his door._

_"What is this now?"_

_Dear Francis Bonnefoy,_

_We are sorry to inform you that our beloved Jeanne D'Arc has passed on to the next life._

_Her body was found in the ruins of her household, which had all been burnt to a crisp._

_There will be a burial at sea held in her honor on the first of June and you are invited to take part in the ceremony. We hope to see you there._

_His entire world had broken apart right before him and there was nothing he could do about it. Two days without her felt much like an eternity, what was he to do now? Now that he was truly without her..No longer able to touch her, hold her, feel her warmth.._

_She was..gone._

_He didn't even care that there was no specific signature on the letter. He memorized the location for the ceremony, (which will no doubt, be held at the docks) and with a tear or two, burnt the letter to a crisp._

_He wasn't quite sure how or when, but he ended up at the local pub, crying his eyes out over the strongest bottle they had._

_"Hey, hey dude-"_

_"What do you want?"_

_"Are you alright man? You don't look so good."_

_He took a deep breath and hid his face, "I don't want to talk right now, thank you."_

_"Look man, I don't know what happened but you should know it's not very awesome to sit here moping around. V'what you need to do is take your mind off whatever is bugging you. Now listen to my words, I know all."_

_"You are not god! You don't know anything about what I'm going through right now. Who are you anyways, and what's with your accent. You're not from around here, are you?"_

_"No, I'm from Prussia."_

_"Prussia? That's..interesting. What brings you out here.", he asked, offering a broken smile._

_"Ah..That's a difficult question.", he sighed._

_"I have time, I suppose..I'm not going anywhere.", he sighed as well as he took another swig of whatever they'd put into his drink (frankly, he didn't care, so he didn't ask)._

_"V'well, I suppose..but don't go getting all emotional on me. I don't need your sympathy! Remember that frenchy!"_

_"Frenchy? That's a new one."_

_"Do you v'want to hear the story or v'what?"_

_"Yes, yes continue."_

_"Well...Long story short. I was once a captain of a great ship, along with my bruder and his little friends. We dreamed of being pirates and sailing the ocean, so we started off with nothing but a rowboat and a treasure chest.. It was working out surprisingly well, we were only a bit away from affording a real ship.., but one day..We were shipwrecked. The ship v'was still a tiny thing at the time and it couldn't handle our weight..I did what I had to do.."_

_"You pushed your brother overboard?!"_

_"No, beard-face, I threw myself overboard!", he huffed, "I can still remember the look on his little face..He truly thought I was abandoning him. He v'was begging me to come back, screaming out to me, I acted like I couldn't hear him over the storm..I haven't seen him since. It was a miracle I even survived. A fishing boat caught me just in time and they brought me to god knows where..Speaking of which, do you know where we are? I never bothered to ask."_

_"We are in France."_

_"V'what?! My bruder shipwrecked in Germany! How the hell did I end up in France!"_

_"You just said a fishing boat-!"_

_"That is not v'what I meant!"_

_"...Well..Aside from that, that's a very noble thing you did for your brother. He owes you his life, you know?"_

_"..I know, if I hadn't jumped off board then the ship v'would have sunk. He v'would have drowned and I v'would never be able to live with myself."_

_"Yes well, love hurts, I suppose."_

_"Who is saying the love hurts?", asked yet another unfamiliar accent._

_"Who are you? You don't sound French, are you another Prussian?! How many of you washed up!"_

_"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself.", he slurred, "My name? I uh, I am from Spain."_

_"V'well he is obviously drunk."_

_"Oh right, my name is Antonio!"_

_"Yes well, do you two mind leaving me alone? The introduction was very nice but I would like a moment to think thank you very-"_

_"Hey what is your name?"_

_"My name is awesome and I am Gilbert.."_

_"..."_

_"OH, no, wait, that is true but I meant my name is Gilbert but I am awesome!"_

_"Who is that cute little chick on your shoulder?"_

_"This,", he gently pet the yellow chick, "is Gilbird, he is my best friend! Next to my brother."_

_"Who is this? Is he your brother?"_

_"He is French. His name is Francis."_

_"Oh, hola Francis."_

_"Bonjour.", he sighed as he took another swig, "I suppose you are not leaving anytime soon are you?"_

_"No, I have no reason to leave. I was just going to get drunk and get back on the next ship to Spain!"_

_"You're going to Spain? Is that close to Germany?!"_

_"Uh.."_

_"Good enough! I v'would like to come v'with you! Congratulations, you now have the most awesome pirate in the world as a friend! V'what did you say your name was? Antonio?"_

_"At least I am two idiots short now."_

_"Francis, why don't you come with us?"_

_"Come with you two? Why should I do that?! I just want to sit here alone, thank you. I don't want to be bothered! Without her, life is meaningless.."_

_ Gilbert leaned in toward Antonio, whispering, "He's kind of a pessimist."_

_"I am not a pessimist!"_

_"I agree with Gilbert, you are acting very down over this girl. Whatever could have happened, you can work it out can't you?"_

_"..No, it can never be worked out. Not now, not ever.."_

_"What do you mean? What happened?"_

_"She is dead, you idiots! She is gone, forever! There is nothing I can do.."_

_"..I see the dilemma."_

_"You're not a pirate are you?"_

_"No, I am not. Why on earth would I want to be a pirate?"_

_"You mean you don't know?!"_

_"I know a very little bit about pirates. This is France!"_

_"Then he doesn't know that pirates live forever.."_

_"..."_

_"That's right, Gilbert, you're very smart! So how long have you been a pirate?"_

_"..."_

_"I've been a pirate for at least have a century. How about you?"_

_"..."_

_"About the same as you, maybe a little longer."_

_"..."_

_"That's good news. I've recently found a little brother, he was something like a pirate.."_

_"..."_

_"If the gift is in his heart, he will become immortal, just like you!~"_

_"..."_

_"V'what? Is that true? That means I have plenty of time to find him!"_

_"..."_

_"So do you think he may be your treasure?"_

_"..."_

_"No, he can't be my treasure, he is my brother."_

_"..."_

_"That doesn't stop some people-"_

_"..."_

_"I DON'T V'WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU!"_

_"..."_

_"Sorry, just had to point that out. Well anyway."_

_"..."_

_"How about you?"_

_"..."_

_"How about me?"_

_"..."_

_"Have you found a treasure yet?"_

_"..."_

_"No, not yet I'm afraid.."_

_"WAIT ONE DAMN MINUTE!"_

_"Oh, Francis, v'we forgot you were here. Speak up a little!"_

_"What do you mean you're immortal?! You don't look a day over twenty! You've got to be kidding me. You are insane, this is a joke, and why do you keep talking about treasure!"_

_"Oh, I forgot, you're a mortal aren't you?"_

_"Of course I'm a mortal!"_

_"No, you can't be a mortal."_

_"What do you mean?!"_

_"He has that special something inside of him!"_

_"Are you sure, Gilbert?"_

_"Yes I am sure, Antonio, can't you feel it? It's in there!"_

_"So all we need to do is make him a pirate and he will become an immortal!~"_

_"That is perfect!"_

_"I don't want to live forever! Not without Jeanne!"_

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"Yes, he definitely has it."_

_"Are you sure he isn't just lovesick?"_

_"I am positive! Look harder, with less of your eyes and more of your special!"_

_"That made no sense!"_

_"I AM AWESOME, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE SENSE!"_

_"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! I AM DONE WITH THIS!"_

_ Just as he rose from his seat, two hands gripped each side of his wrist and pulled him back into his seat._

_"You're not going anywhere! Someone like you is very rare, don't you know? We don't get too many of you! Especially not out of the blue in a place like this. If you think we are going to let you pass up the opportunity to find your treasure, you are wrong!"_

_"Will someone explain to me what a treasure is!?"_

_"..Oh right, v'we forgot."_

_ Antonio sighed as he pushed his cup away, feeling quite less buzzed by now, "A treasure is a very important thing that can only be found in the heart..There are treasures all over the world, one meant for each person, but as it is a very trivial thing, most people neglect these and instead, they wish for materialistic items such as you know, gold..Typical pirate, right?"_

_ He nodded._

_"Well you are wrong. We are a special kind of pirate..We discovered our ability before we discovered out treasure, however...How can I say this.."_

_"V'what he is trying to say is, you are special. Being a special pirate means having the courage and bravery to fight for and protect the things you care about. You are given a gift somewhere deep in your heart or something like that, and those hearts have been granted immortality. Now, somewhere out there is a treasure for each of us, so we are meant to find those treasures and protect them with our hearts and souls..That is the reason we are alive."_

_"..You have it wrong, mon cher, my treasure has long since left me.."_

_"If you mean Jeanne, you are wrong, mi amigo. I don't know how she died but if she suffered from a mortal cause or something in the like, then she would still be with us right now. Treasures are special too, you know? They can survive even the deadliest of wounds even in times that seem like certain death.."_

_"So what you are saying is, you want me to come with you, turn me into a pirate, just to make me search for something that I don't even know is out there?! If it's so immortal, can't it protect itself?!"_

_"..Actually.."_

_"..."_

_ Gilbert coughed, "After a v'while, if it is forgotten, it dissolves completely..It is gone. Therefore we cannot abandon these treasures, it is our duty to protect them, that is what pirates do!"_

_ Another deadly moment of silence passed between the two as Gilbert slammed his beer on the counter. _

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"Fine, I'm in. I'll do this for Jeanne. If I can't protect her I'll at least protect someone..I won't lose another person. Not one I haven't even met.."_

_"That's the spirit! I say v'we celebrate with drinks!"_

_"I agree!"_

_"You two are idiots. I will go with you but I am going to the ceremony first!"_

_"Fine."_

_"Fine with me."_

_ After a few more drinks and one drunken night later, they'd come up with a name for themselves. After debating whether or not "The Bad Touch Trio" was too bold, they decided to give it an acronym. So, after tears were shed at the funeral, (all three of them cried, by the way, never mind what they say happened), the letters BTT were painted on the side of a custom made ship. It was then they sailed to Spain, initiated Francis' transformation, and then and there their voyage set sail.._

* * *

"I remember that day!", chuckled Antonio, "..Not long after that, you met Arthur didn't you? You met him the day he became a pirate..I met Lovino some time after that, didn't I? Three years I would say.."

"Yes, that was the day v'we stumbled upon slave boys..Three years later and v'we are not even close to repaying his debt."

"I know.."

"...Love..It's a tragic thing isn't it?"

The three looked up to the starry sky in silent thought, before nodding sadly in agreement.

"Aye."


	10. Chapter 10

Alfred had awaken with a bang.

..Literally.

The shot of a canon shook the boat, roughly throwing Alfred out of his bed.

...Yes, they ended up caving in and giving him a bed. He was getting little to no sleep on the hard floor, and believe it or not, they may have actually felt guilty..

Oh well. Alfred didn't care, he just wanted to get out of here. He wanted to see Arthur.

"Alfred, Lovino! Get down, don't move a muscle, hide!"

"What's going on, you bastard?!"

"We are being boarded!"

Alfred blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he stood up and walked to the port hole, checking the damage..

Sure enough, the waves were a mess and a ship was far too close for comfort..

He practically did flips as he read the name aloud.

"The Britannia?"

"What is that? It sounds stupid."

"It's not stupid!"

"I don't care, I'm going back to bed.", he huffed.

"..Arthur."

* * *

"Frog, I wont warn you again! Hand over the boy or we'll have no mercy on your ship! You had no business taking what was rightfully mine!"

"Oh, so now mon cher Alfred is a piece of property to you? Have you forgotten he is a person?!"

"That's big talk coming from someone who bought and sold a child!"

"I did no such thing!"

"Oh well, I don't care about what you did. I only care about Alfred, now where is he?!"

"We cannot surrender Alfred, we can't! You'll never understand, you cold-hearted Brit!"

"The only thing I'll never understand is the likes of you!"

At the moment, the two captains were head to head, clashing swords in a battle of strength and will. Who would win? Well, neither side were sure..Quite frankly they were puzzled as to how this situation had occurred..They had been told to sail to Tortuga but in a faint stroke of luck (bad or not, they'd yet to decide) they stumbled upon the pirate ship of the BTT sailing not too far from the shore.

Arthur lashed at his opponent with another fierce blow, missing by a fair inch.

"Blast.", he huffed, "Have at you! Fight like areal man, you frog!"  
"Arthur I do not want to fight!"

"You should have thought about that before you kidnapped Alfred!"

"Alfred came with me willingly!"

"I don't care! He's coming back with me and that's final!"

"No! I wont give up without a fight! You challenge the wrong trio, you black sheep!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Black sheep! Black sheep! Arthur's the black sheep of his own crew!"

"I'm the captain, you fool!"

* * *

The Prussian had his hands full with two at a time. From what he could tell, a rather angry Austrian (though he sounded German), and a spiteful Hungarian..Who, in fact, looked a little familiar.

As he blocked both of their blows with one sword, he obtained a clear look into her eyes-

"Elizabeta?!"

"How do you know my name you damned rat!"

"Of course I know your name, don't you remember me?!"

She struck his sword with another blow, pushing the Austrian away, "I don't know who you are or where you came from, but I don't care! My captain told me to attack, and attack I will!"

"You cannot attack me, I am awesome! In fact, I am so awesome that your puny sword can't handle the amount of awesomeness that is me.", he shouted as he knocked her sword out of her hand.

In an attempt to even the fight, she kicked the boy in the pit of his stomach, swiftly knocking him down. With one foot on his chest, pinning him down, she picked up her own sword and held it down to his neck.

"Can we talk about this?! Listen to me, Elizabeta, you don't know how long I've been-"

"Just who do you think you are?! Do you think I would ever associate with anyone who works with those band of idiots? If I knew you in a past life, that is great, but the past is the past and I know my friend would never have become a monster like you!"

Fed up, he kicked her off of himself and in turn, pinned both of her wrists down.

Neither armed, they were face to face.

"Roderich! Get him off of me!"

She looked around frantically, avoiding his gaze.

Of course, he was nowhere to be found. Probably on the other side of the ship, fighting his own battle..

"Get off of me!"

"Never!"

"Right now!"

"Not until you listen to me, Eliza!"

"Eliza?"

"You heard me!"

"I haven't been called that in..-It doesn't matter! Get off of me right now or I will have no mercy on you!"

"Not until you listen to me. If you listen and you still want me to let you go, I will never bother you again! Deal?"

"...Whatever! Deal!"

"Elizabeta Hedervary, I am Gilbert Beillschmidt and you were my best friend growing up! How could you not remember me?!"

"...Gilbert? No..You can't be Gilbert! You are lying!"

"I am not lying! Listen to me, Eliza! You know who I am! No one forgets someone this awesome!"

"..Yes, you're definitely him.", she sighed, "What the hell are you doing with those idiots?! I thought you were fighting for good!"

"I do fight for good, Eliza, listen to me!"

"You abandoned your bruder-"

"That is not what happened! You don't know the real story!"

"I don't need to know the real story to know that is cruel, Gilbert!"

He rose to his feet, looking down at her with saddened eyes, "I am telling you, you do not understand. I don't think you realized how difficult it was for me to leave! I never wanted to hurt anybody. Not my bruder, not his friends, not the crew, not you, not anybody! I never meant for this to happen, don't you get that?! I am begging you Eliza, listen to me!"

"...This doesn't sound like you, Gilbert, you sound..serious."

"Yes, v'well, v'we all have to grow up sometime don't we."

"That is not possible for you."

"I'm not the only one whose hands are dirty you know!"

"What do you mean?"

"You abandoned me! You left to go marry that aristocrat."

"I did not leave to marry him!"

"Then v'what were you doing?!"

"I never got the chance to tell you..Our parents were friends. He was another childhood friend that I had and eventually we both decided to run away from home..I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye but it was our only chance..Besides, I know how stubborn you are, don't pretend you didn't know that we would meet again some day!"

"A little goodbye never hurt anyone!"

_Cheep!_

"Neither did a little understanding!"  
Cheep cheep!

"I v'would have understood if you'd told me!"

_Cheep cheep cheep!_

"No you would not, you v'would have tried to do something stupid!"

_Cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep!_

"Gilbird! V'would you stop it, that is totally not awesome!", he shouted toward the sky, at no one in particular."  
"Who are you talking to-!"

Without warning, she felt a tiny, animal-like creature land on the top of her head..

"What is this?!"

"Gilbird, that is not awesome! You shouldn't nest in anyone's awesome hair but mine!"

"Gilbird..Gilbird?! You still have this little bird?! It had to have died by now!"

"Not a chance, Gilbird is just like an extension of myself!"

She bit back a faint chuckled, as she felt the top of hair, "Get him out.."

He whistled lightly, running a gentle hand through the top of his head, sweeping him out onto his finger.

"..He's still as cute as ever, I suppose."

"Of course he is, he's just like me. That means you called me cute! I knew it!"

"In your dreams! I was talking about the bird!"

"Yes, v'well, v'whatever. Do you know what I am going to do since I am awesome, Eliza?"

"...", she looked up at his crooked smile.

"I am going to let you hold my little Gilbird. You should feel honored, you know? Just try not to feel overwhelmed, I know he is very awesome and such yeah yeah yeah..", he rambled.

"V'whatever! She snapped, it's not a privilege, it's just a bird!"

"So that means you don't want to hold him then? Fine, come on Gilbird, she doesn't think you're cute.."

The bird looked up at him and back at her with a seemingly sad face.

"N-No! That is not what I meant! I-I want to hold him.."

Gilbert gave her a cheeky little smirk, before kneeling down to her level.

"Hold out your hand."

Hesitantly, she did as she was told. Before she knew it, the little fellow flew off of his finger, and into the palm of her hand..

Gilbert was smiling at her. That..Well, she didn't quite know what to make of that.

Why were they fighting again?

* * *

Spain was holding both boys close to each side of him as they waited patiently below the deck. So far, no members of either crew had dared infiltrate the lower deck, and for that they were thankful. For now, they were safe, with minimal destruction..

He was so focused on holding the boys, that he didn't even realize little Lovino was blushing..

"L-Let go of me! Damn bastard!"

He merely chuckled as Romano caught his attention, "Lovi! Look at that, your face is as red as a tomato!"

Lovino huffed as he looked away, fighting his grip.

Alfred, however, was not amused..

"What's going to happen to Arthur if he..If he loses?"

The Spaniard gulped, "Uh, well, you see..by the law of..Well, usually..Pirates.."

"If eyebrows loses, he loses all of his loot."

"Lovino!"

"It's true!"

"E-England's gonna lose everything?"

"..If he loses..Knowing France, I..I..I don't know."

Biting back the heaviest of tears, he quickly jumped out of the mans gripped, surprising him as he fell to the floor. Before he could pick himself up, little Alfred had already run far out the door, locking them in.

"..Crap.", he sighed as he sat up.

Somehow he'd managed to protect Lovi during the fall..Natural instinct, perhaps?

"This is your fault, you bastard!"

"Lovino, you're so cute, you're red again!", he cried as he held Romano even closer than before, earning a blush an even deeper shade of red..if that was possible.

Well, at least he was locked in with Lovino, he supposed that was a plus..

* * *

Alfred had done his best to sneak by the crew without notice. He'd hopped into a barrel from time to time, avoiding any suspicious looks, and somehow managed his way over through the distracted crowd, until he landed somewhere close to the Britannia..Eyes fixed on the captains office, he crept in ever so silently.

"A-Alfred?!"

He panicked as he shut the door, cowering lightly.

"A-Alfred, it's me, Matthew."

"M-Matthew? How have you been?"

"Now's not the time for that! What were you thinking?!"

"I had to set you free! They were going to sell you off! I can't lose you again!"

"You weren't thinking! You don't even know the full story..I-If you knew.."

"If I knew what?"

"If you knew the full story, you could understand why Francis is actually a likable guy.."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, you don't know the story..", he blushed slightly as he clutched his teddy, Kumajiro.

"What story? What could make you think it was okay for him to take you captive!"

"I wasn't a captive, I swear!"

"Then what happened?!"

"W-Well..It was some time after the village was raided. It was a band of pirates, I didn't get a good look at their faces but..I..Uh."

"Get on with it, Mattie..How did you survive that? I thought they killed everybody.."

"Everybody except for you and me..No, really, I thought I was going to die but..I guess miracles can happen, right?"

"..I guess so. Why?"

"W-Well, it was the day of the raid, when the pirates left, I couldn't find anybody..I was freezing, I was hungry, and I could barely walk..It was a miracle that Francis found me. I thought I was going to die b-but..They brought me onto their ship, fed me, clothed me, and they even let me take kumajiro with me..Isn't that cool?"

"S-So you wanted to be with them?!"

"..K-Kinda..I don't know..I..I guess..", he blushed, hiding his face.

"T-Then why did I-"

"I tried to tell you, but I didn't have the time..We've barely ever spoken since that day, Alfred, what do you expect! I can't just tell you my entire life story in one minute..Especially under these circumstances."

Alfred was at a loss for words, trying to process everything his brother had just told him.

"None of that matters right now!"

"How could none of that matter?!"

"You love Arthur don't you?!"

This time Alfred was fighting his own blush, "S-So?!"

"So you don't want him to lose his treasure, do you?!"

"..."

"We have to stop this fight, Alfred! Only we can!"

"What do you mean only we can stop the fight?! Neither of them are going to give up until they get what-"

"Don't you see? This is all a big misunderstanding! We can stop this! We can save Arthur, Francis, and even Lovino!"

"Y-You're friends with Lovino?"

"M-More or less."

"Well..", he sighed, "I.."

"Come on Alfred, you have to help me."

"Who's going to stop the fight?", called a sweet voice.

"Who are you?"

"Ve!~ I'm Feliciano!"

"Feliciano, don't go around giving your information to strangers!"

"Ludwig-kun is right, that is not a good idea, Feliciano-kun"

"You two worry too much!~ You are good guys, just like us, no?"

"I..I suppose.."

"Ve!~ That's great! They're on our side, Ludwig!"

"..V'whatever, I don't want any part of this."

"Actually guys..We need all of the help we can get. We would be honored if you would help us.

"I'll do it!~"

"Hai, I will do it as well.."

A Japanese, a German, and an Italian team up with a Canadian to stop a fight between the French, English, and Spanish, meanwhile rescuing a boy from Southern Italy..This should work out marvelously.

"What about you, Alfred?"

"I..I..", he studdered as he shook his head quickly, before a bright smile returned to his face, "Of course I'm gonna help you, I'm the hero!"

Matthew merely smiled as he followed his brother out the door and onto the far too busy deck.

* * *

"Bloody Frog! Give up!"

"Never! I'll never surrender to the likes of you, British black sheep!"

"Damnit, I told you to shut up with your lame insults!"

"You are big talk and nothing more, eyebrows!"

"You don't know who you're dealing with, I'm the fiercest pirate on the seven seas, don't expect me to go easy on you! Just because I let you get away with your little insult the day we met, doesn't mean I'll allow it any longer!", he shouted as they clashed swords once more.

This time, Arthur had the upper hand, knocking the sword out of the Frenchman's hand and kicking him to the floor, chest smashed down with one large boot.

"Any last words, Frog?", he menaced as he raised his sword.

"Arthur!"

Who on earth?

Uneasy, he decided not to turn his attention toward the voice..He..No, it wasn't possible, was it?

"Arthur! Arthur, listen to me, Arthur! Arthur!"

"A-Alfred?", he whispered under his breath.

"Damnit Antonio! You let him escape?!"

"I'll have none of that from you!"

"Arthur! Arthur look at me, Arthur!"

Reluctantly, he turned his head.

He thought he would surely die peacefully as those blue eyes stared straight back into his, memories flooding his mind like the greatest of storms..

"A-Alfred?! What are you doing out here, can't you see it's not safe?!"

"Arthur you have to stop fighting!"

"W-Why should I do that?! Don't you understand what this man is capable-"

"I thought so too but please, please Arthur! Please listen!", he begged.

"I-I'm listening, Alfred.."

"Please stop fighting!"

"I'm not fighting, I'm-"

"I meant, drop your sword!"  
"My sword? Alfred are you mad? I can't just lower my weapon in the midst of battle, I have a crew that-"

"That you need to fight for, I know, but..can't we just call off this fight? What are you fighting for, Arthur? I'm right here! I'll go back with you right now, I swear! That's all you want isn't it? I-I can protect your treasure, too!"

"Alfred-"

"Please, let me finish! I swear, I'll be a good boy, I'll protect everything you love, and I'll even protect you too! I swear, just, please, no fighting anymore!"

"Alfred, listen to me."

"I-"

"Alfred,", he interrupted, "What does treasure have to do with this? All of the worlds riches are nothing compared to having you aboard my ship..I..I suppose I'm not asking you to understand but please acknowledge that..well, as long as I have you, that's all I really need. Do you think you understand?"

Alfred paused, before offering a silent giggle and a wide, beautiful smile, "I love you too Arthur!~"

"That's lovely..", whispered Francis, "It's only a matter of time..Matthieu? Where are you, little Matthew?!~"

"I..I'm right here.."

Arthur stepped off of France for the moment, treading closer to Alfred.

"Matthieu..You're still as cute as ever, I see. So time with eyebrows didn't taint you?"

"N-No, Francis.."

"Mon cher, don't worry. You don't have to convince me not to fight, I've always been more of a lover.."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about.."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I..I think instead of.."

"Instead of fighting, we can compromise!", shouted Alfred, "We don't have to kill each other! We don't have to fight!"

"You've made your point Alfred, but what do you suppose we do?", sighed Arthur, "These aren't the type of pirates who will just settle for nothing.."

"I..I don't know, Arthur, I can't..I can't tell you."

"What do you mean? Alfred, you can tell me anything.. You know that don't you?"

"Y-Yes, but you'll hate me.."

He rolled his eyes, I think we both know that isn't possible..Believe me."

"Well..All they want is treasure..I don't know the full story..Matthew?"

"R-Right..You see, they aren't into selling or buying people, really..It may seem like it, but they rescued both of us..Lovino was once kidnapped and sold as a slave because of how much money his bloodline is worth..To buy his own freedom, he has to repay exactly that amount of money and well..That's more than Alfred or I combined.."  
"I see..That's why you scoundrels have been looting pirates left and right. You wanted to free your little friend?"

"That's exactly what we wanted to do! You wouldn't listen to us, all you cared about was-"

"Don't drag me down to your level, Frog! This is your fault!"

"My fault?! How is it my fault?! All I am trying to do is help-"

"STOP IT!"

"M-Matthew?!"

"I..I'm sorry..I just..I don't think you should be so quick to judge each other."

"W-Well, point taken, Matthew. However, I don't believe you children understand the depth in which Francis has offended my honor as a pirate. It is written in the code-that is a sin unforgiving of man."

"BOTH OF YOU STOP THIS VIOLENCE!"

This time, all eyes were captured. Every face was pulled toward the door of the lower deck, which had now flown open, revealing the very distressed face of a certain Spaniard..

"Don't you two understand?! I don't care about your honor, or treasure, or money, I just want Lovino to be happy at last! He cried himself to sleep once I told him about this foolish debt. I do not know about you mi amigo's, but I am done with the fighting.", he huffed heavily, dropping his sword.

"..."

"I AM DONE FIGHTING TOO."

This time attention was given to a certain Albino..Was he holding hands with Elizabeta? No, they were definitely seeing things..

"I want to stop fighting too."

The Austrian? That was new..

"Why would I want to waste my time fighting when I could be composing? Honestly."

"If Austria will stop fighting, I will stop fighting too.", the three joined close hands, standing firmly in place.

"Me too. I'm sick of choosing sides, I only joined this stupid ship because I thought I would be able to protect Lilli."

Vash? That can't be..Did he just join hands with Austria?

"Ve!~ Make pasta, not war!"

"...I..I agree with Feliciano."

"Hai. I agree with Rudwig."

"B-Bruder?!"

"...Gilbert?! That can't be! You..You abandoned us!"

"No, I didn't-!"

"Si, he is telling the truth, please listen little Ludwig, he did what he had to do!"

"He..I.."

"This doesn't make sense to you, I know, but I can explain, please give me a chance! I never stopped looking for you.."

"..."

"Do you know how lame that would be if I abandoned my own awesome flesh and blood?!"

"..Yes, that's definitely you alright."

"SO I TAKE IT YOU ALL ARE JUST GOING TO OVERLOOK THE FACT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF-"

"Arthur?"

He looked down at the blue, hopeful eyes staring up at him.

"What is it, Alfred?"

Without warning, the boy buried his face into Arthur's stomach, pulling him in for a tight, long awaited hug.

"P-Please, please don't leave me again! I don't like it when you're gone!"

"I..Alfred, I only do what I have to do.."

"N-No! You think you have to b-but you don't! You only do this stuff because it's what pirates do but is it really what you wanna do?! You..you're so great, Arthur!"

That would have knocked him into a coma, had he'd let it..

"Alfred..", he lowers himself down to eye level, "I..Well, I suppose if it's for you, I'd give up a thousand wars.."

"F-Francis.."

"Yes, Matthieu?"

"What are we going to do about Lovino.."

Alfred looked up hopefully, with pleading eyes..

"I have the answer to that.", Arthur side as he rose, clutching Alfred close to his thigh, "All you need to do is repay a final debt, am I correct?"

Spain nodded, "Just a debt, si! That is all we need!"

"Fine. I'll arrange a hefty portion of my treasure, however much you need, and that should even the playing field..Also, if Matthew is happy on your ship, I suppose I cannot keep him here.."

"R-Really?!"

"This is great news! Thank you so much, mon cher!"

"Gracias, gracias Mr. Eyebrows! Gracias!"

"I finally found you, Bruder, I found you, I found Eliza, and we can finally have a family!"

"Roderich, Vash, are you coming with us?"

"I..I suppose I will go. Just until I can begin my career.."

"I need to go home to Lilli, she's been expecting me.."

"Ve!~ Ludwig found his brother!"

"I am very happy for you as well, Ludwig."

"..I..I guess, thank you. Perhaps I overreacted..seeing how the situation was handled I..I have to admit, I couldn't have done it any better. Thank you, bruder, I..I..owe you my life."

"Lovino! Lovino!~"

"What is it, you damn bastard?!"

"Lovino?! Ve!~ I found you!"

"Feliciano?! Is that really you?!"

"It's been so long!"

"I...I..Where have you been?! Do you know how damn worried I was?!"

"Sorry Lovino, I've been looking for you too! I had no idea you were with Ludwig's big brother!"

"You know this potato bastard?!"

"S-Sorry about the way the fight turned out, Francis.."

"Matthieu, everything is alright now. I promise you, we can finally live in happiness now..Love will spread to the ends of the earth!~ Just like it was always meant to."

"I'm really sorry you're giving up all of your treasure, Arthur.."

"Alfred.", Arthur sighed as he knelt down, kissing the boys head,

"I couldn't have wished for a greater treasure than you."


	11. Epilogue

A month had passed since that day.

The money it had taken to buy Lovino's freedom nearly wiped out Arthur's inventory..He wasn't complaining, however, he was just happy that mess was over.

It wasn't long afterwards that Antonio had fallen ill and he looked as if he was about to drop dead..Could you ever believe that Lovino had done everything in his power to make him well again? In the end, his attempt had amounted to much more than he'd thought possible, and it was discovered that he, as well as Antonio, were both immortal (of course, Antonio already knew that).

Gilbert had reunited with his brother (or bruder in his case) and his life couldn't have gotten better. It turned out he'd been searching for Elizabeta ever since the day she left (although he did think she was a boy but..well, no one blamed him) and he and Roderich maintained a better relationship than they ever let out to the public. Who would've thought even a "family" such as they would have the gift?

Vash returned to Lilli, whom he'd left at home for the time he'd been away..His ultimate goal had been to keep her safe and become stronger for her sake, whilst building up his reputation, but it turned out she really didn't care about any of those things..She'd actually practices marksmanship while he was away, in hopes to impress him with everything she'd learned once he'd finally returned (as well as shower him with many, many gifts) They had that special gift within themselves as well..

Francis and Matthew no longer roamed the earth as pirates, and instead decided to return to Francis' home in France, where they would build a new life..Though at first Francis was weary, it was over time that he realized Matthew had somehow replaced the scar on his heart that he thought would never heal..In fact, he was so grateful for that bit of happiness Matthew had to offer, he allowed Alfred the freedom to visit them anytime they wanted, no matter how badly he couldn't stand the Brit. As it turned out, Matthew became his treasure, and the two were free to walk the earth together forever as a united pair.

The axis stayed close to Ludwig, wherever he was. However, at one point, Gilbert and Ludwig had returned to Germany while Feliciano remained at Austria with Elizabeta and Roderich. Kiku had sailed alone on the small ship, in search of his own family, he was certain were out there..

In case you're wondering, the axis discovered their immortality shortly after the crew had departed.

As for Alfred and Arthur? Well..

"Hey Arthur?", Alfred stirred one late night.

"What is it, Alfred?", he hummed silently.

"What's a mirage?"

"A mirage? What do you mean?"

"A mirage..It makes people happy, right?"

"..Are you trying to say marriage?"

"Yeah!"

"Why on earth are you talking about such a thing at a young age?"

"What's a marriage, Arthur?"

_He would've very well spit out his tea if only..._

"Uh, well, a marriage is a sort of..It unites two people at the heart, so their souls are joined and they are able to spend the rest of eternity together, "till death do us part", as they say."

"Oh, I see..."

"...Yes, well, now go to sleep my little hero.."

"Hey Arthur, can I have a marriage with you?"

And on that night, the captain literally hit the deck and no one was able to figure out why. (In all honesty, they were practically the only few left on the crew.)

* * *

**Anyone else smell a sequel? Dun dun dunnnn.**


	12. ATTENTION

**ATTENTION:**

**SEQUEL TO THIS STORY CAN BE FOUND ON MY PAGE, OR JUST USE THE LINK PROVIDED BELOW. **

**IF YOU DON'T WISH TO DO EITHER OF THESE THINGS FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE TITLE OF THE FANFICTION IS ****The Purest Treasure II Of Emerald and Sky**

**Link- s/9690831/1/ The-Purest-Treasure-II-Of-Emerald-and-Sky**


End file.
